Signal sending method, electronic equipment and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a signal sending method, electronic equipment and a computer readable storage medium. The method and the device are applied to the technical field of communication and are used for solving the problems of poor transmission efficiency and unstable user service channel performance caused by the fact that the existing hybrid beam forming technology cannot solve the compatibility problem of various analog beams. According to the signal sending method, a certain antenna array can be decoupled into a plurality of sub-arrays through acquired configuration information, and a controller can control the plurality of sub-arrays to output various types of analog beams at the same moment. Under the condition that the structure of the phased-array antenna is not changed, the compatibility problem of various types of analog beams can be solved, and the signal coverage range is expanded. Meanwhile, the same antenna array outputs a plurality of types of analog beams, so that a plurality of service requirements can be met at the same time, and the transmission efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a signal sending method, an electronic device and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of wireless communication technology, the demand for high-speed data services and ubiquitous access is showing an explosive growth. In order to better meet the communication needs, many communication solutions currently use multi-antenna arrays at the transmitting or receiving end. The use of multi-antenna arrays can greatly improve the spectrum efficiency of the communication system through simple signal processing technology, so it is of great significance in the communication system. In multi-antenna arrays, the design of beamforming plays a key role in improving the performance of the communication system. Among them, hybrid beamforming (HBF) technology, as a compromise between performance and cost, has a high practical prospect. HBF is based on traditional digital beamforming, adding analog beamforming to the RF signal near the front end of the antenna, which is mainly achieved by adding phase shifters. Analog beamforming connects a large-scale antenna array through a phase shifter, and the signal it transmits is the superposition of multiple phase-shifted versions of a basic signal in space, so that it can point to a specific direction. Based on this solution, the baseband processing chip and the antenna array can be connected through a small number of radio frequency (RF) links, thereby greatly reducing the complexity of the communication system. In addition, analog beamforming can eliminate certain interference and obtain more array gain. On this basis, if further processing is performed in the digital domain of the baseband processing chip, interference between multiple data streams can be better eliminated, thereby ensuring transmission quality. However, the current hybrid beamforming technology cannot solve the compatibility problem of multiple analog beams, resulting in poor transmission efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present application provide a signal sending method, an electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium to send multiple types of analog beams through the same antenna array, thereby solving the compatibility problem of multiple analog beams and improving transmission efficiency.

[0004] In order to achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application provide the following technical solutions.

[0005] In the first aspect, a signal transmission method is provided, which is applied to a network device. The network device includes a phase shift circuit and an antenna array coupled to the phase shift circuit. The method can be executed by a controller or a control circuit. When the method is executed, first configuration information can be obtained first. The first configuration information is used to indicate that multiple sub-arrays in the antenna array output multiple types of analog beams at the same time. Then, according to the first configuration information, a first control signal is output to the phase shift circuit. The first control signal is used to indicate that the phase shift circuit outputs multiple types of analog beams at the same time through multiple sub-arrays. In this way, without changing the structure of the phased array antenna, the controller or the control circuit can decouple the antenna array into multiple sub-arrays through the obtained first configuration information, and output multiple types of analog beams at the same time through multiple sub-arrays, thereby solving the compatibility problem of multiple types of analog beams and improving transmission efficiency. At the same time, since the same antenna array can output different types of analog beams including common signal analog beams and data signal analog beams at the same time, users can also select appropriate analog beams for data transmission in the common signaling time slot, and the user service channel can obtain more antenna gain. Therefore, the user service channel performance can be guaranteed to be stable between different time slots.

[0006] In a possible implementation, when acquiring the first configuration information, the current state information of the network device may be received first. Then, the first configuration information is acquired according to the state information. In this way, the controller may acquire corresponding configuration information according to the current state information of the network device, thereby better meeting the usage requirements in the current environment.

[0007] In a possible implementation, the state information includes at least one of location information of the network device, current time, current communication time slot, user distribution information, and user traffic. Based on this, the antenna array can be decoupled into multiple sub-arrays according to the at least one information to better meet the actual needs of various application scenarios.

[0008] In a possible implementation, when outputting the first control signal to the phase shift circuit according to the first configuration information, the antenna array may be first decoupled into a plurality of sub-arrays of regular shape according to the first configuration information. Then, the first control signal may be output to the phase shift circuit according to the analog beam type of each sub-array. Based on this, the antenna array may be decoupled into a plurality of sub-arrays of regular shape according to the first configuration information, and different types of analog beams may be sent, thereby making the direction of the analog beam more controllable.

[0009] In a possible implementation, when the first control signal is output to the phase shift circuit according to the first configuration information, the antenna array may be first decoupled into a plurality of irregularly shaped sub-arrays according to the first configuration information. Then, the first control signal is output to the phase shift circuit according to the analog beam type of each sub-array. Based on this, the antenna array may be decoupled into a plurality of irregularly shaped sub-arrays according to the first configuration information, and different types of analog beams may be sent, thereby making the coverage direction of the analog beam more flexible and changeable.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the network device further includes a variable gain amplifier circuit. The variable gain amplifier circuit is coupled between the antenna array and the phase shift circuit, and the variable gain amplifier circuit is also coupled to the controller. On this basis, the method further includes: sending a second control signal to the variable gain amplifier circuit according to the first configuration information. The second control signal is used to instruct the variable gain amplifier circuit to increase the power of the analog beam output by each subarray. In the above implementation process, although decoupling the antenna array into multiple subarrays and sending different types of analog beams through multiple subarrays can increase the coverage of the analog beam, decoupling the entire antenna array into multiple subarrays reduces the gain of the analog beam and shortens the transmission distance. Therefore, the transmission distance of the analog beam output by each subarray can be increased by increasing the power of the variable gain amplifier circuit, thereby better meeting the needs of more users.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the network device further includes a variable gain amplifier circuit. The variable gain amplifier circuit is coupled to the phase shift circuit. On this basis, the method further includes: sending a second control signal to the variable gain amplifier circuit according to the first configuration information. The second control signal is used to instruct the variable gain amplifier circuit to increase the power of the analog beam output by each subarray. Based on this, the transmission distance of the analog beam output by each subarray can also be increased by increasing the gain of the variable gain amplifier circuit, thereby better meeting the needs of more users.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the power increase range of the simulated beam output by each subarray is determined according to the ratio of each subarray to the antenna array. Based on this, the power increase range of the simulated beam output by each subarray can better meet the transmission distance requirement.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: obtaining second configuration information. The second configuration information is used to instruct the entire antenna array to output a single analog beam. Then, according to the second configuration information, a third control signal is output to the phase shift circuit. The third control signal is used to instruct the phase shift circuit to output a single analog beam through the entire antenna array. Based on this, when it is necessary to use the entire antenna array to output the analog beam, it can also be automatically adjusted according to the obtained configuration information.

[0014] In a second aspect, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores computer program instructions, and when the computer program instructions are executed by the processor, a method in any possible implementation of the first aspect is implemented.

[0015] In a third aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer program instructions, wherein when the computer program instructions are executed by a processor, the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect is implemented.

[0016] According to a fourth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which, when executed by a processor, implements a method in any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0017] The technical effects brought about by the second to fourth aspects and possible implementation methods can be found in the description of the technical effects brought about by the first aspect and possible implementation methods mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system;

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency transmission circuit supporting hybrid beamforming;

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of another radio frequency transmission circuit supporting hybrid beamforming;

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another radio frequency transmission circuit supporting hybrid beamforming;

[0022] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the transmission range of a simulated beam provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 7 A signal transmission flow chart of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a decoupling method of an antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of another decoupling method of an antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of another decoupling method of an antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of another decoupling method of an antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of another decoupling method of an antenna array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of the structure of another network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the structure of another network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Fig.15 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0034] In order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, the words "first", "second" and the like are used to distinguish the same items or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that the words "first", "second" and the like do not limit the quantity and execution order, and the words "first", "second" and the like do not necessarily limit the differences. At the same time, in the embodiments of the present application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete manner for ease of understanding.

[0035] When describing some embodiments, the expressions "coupled" and "connected" and their derivatives may be used. For example, when describing some embodiments, the term "connected" may be used to indicate that two or more components are in direct physical contact or point contact with each other. For another example, when describing some embodiments, the term "coupled" may be used to indicate that two or more components are in direct physical contact or electrical contact. However, the term "coupled" or "communicatively coupled" may also refer to two or more components that are not in direct contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other. The embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to the contents of this document.

[0036] like Figure 1As shown, current communication systems generally include network devices and terminal devices. The network device can provide wireless access for one or more terminal devices within the coverage area. The network device is a node in a radio access network (RAN), which can also be called a base station, or a RAN node (or device). The network device can be a next generation node B (gNB), a next generation evolved node B (Ng-eNB), a transmission reception point (TRP), an evolved Node B (eNB), a radio network controller (RNC), a Node B (NB), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), a base band unit (BBU), or a wireless fidelity (Wifi) access point (AP). The network device can also be a satellite, which can also be called a high-altitude platform, a high-altitude aircraft, or a satellite base station. The network device may also be other devices with network device functions. For example, the network device may also be a device that performs the network device function in device-to-device (D2D) communication. The network device may also be a network device in a possible future communication system. The network device also includes an active antenna unit (AAU), which can implement some physical layer processing functions, radio frequency processing, and beamforming related functions of active antennas. Terminal equipment, also known as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc., is a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to users. For example, terminal equipment includes handheld devices with wireless connection functions, vehicle-mounted devices, etc.In addition, the terminal device may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, PDA, mobile internet device (MID), wearable device (such as smart watch, smart bracelet, pedometer, etc.), vehicle-mounted device, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, wireless terminal in industrial control, smart home device (such as refrigerator, TV, air conditioner, electric meter, etc.), intelligent robot, workshop equipment, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, flying device (such as intelligent robot, hot air balloon, drone, airplane), etc. The terminal device may also be other devices with terminal functions, for example, the terminal device may also be a device that functions as a terminal in D2D communication.

[0037] At present, many network devices and terminal devices use large-scale antenna arrays for communication. Among them, the antenna arrays of network devices and terminal devices include multiple antennas, and multiple antennas form a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system. Among them, some MIMO systems use digital beamforming (DBF) to output corresponding signals from the antenna array. This method can arbitrarily adjust the amplitude and phase of the signal, but each antenna needs to be configured with an independent RF link, which increases cost and power consumption. In order to solve this problem, some MIMO systems use HBF technology to add analog domain beamforming to the RF signal near the front end of the antenna on the basis of traditional digital beamforming. Among them, HBF technology is mainly implemented by adding phase shifters. The antenna array is connected through a phase shifter, and the signal it transmits is the superposition of multiple phase-shifted versions of a basic signal in space, so that it can point to a specific direction. The baseband processing chip and the antenna are connected by a small number of RF links, which can greatly reduce the complexity of the system. At the same time, analog beamforming can eliminate certain interference and obtain more array gain. On this basis, if further processing is performed in the digital domain of the baseband processing chip, interference between multiple data streams can be better eliminated, thereby ensuring transmission quality.

[0038] In a specific implementation, the transmission link architecture of the existing HBF technology can be divided into multiple types according to the different positions of the phase shifters. For example, an antenna array with 12 antennas is used as an example. Figure 2 As shown, in a transmission link architecture, the baseband processing chip is coupled to the phase shifting circuit through two sub-band chips. The phase shifting circuit can be controlled by a controller. The phase shifting circuit includes multiple phase shifters, and the output end of each sub-band chip is coupled to four carrier combining circuits through four phase shifters. Then each carrier combining circuit passes through a crest factor reduction (CFR) circuit and a digital predistortion (DPD) circuit, and then is coupled to the three antennas in the antenna array through a radio chip and a power amplifier. Placing the phase shifter before the carrier combining circuit and controlling the phase shifter through a controller can make the beams of different sub-bands have different directions, but this method cannot save the digital intermediate frequency circuit and the number of RF channels, and the cost and power consumption are very high. As Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , in another type of transmission link architecture, the baseband processing chip is coupled to multiple phase shifters through a CFR circuit, a DPD circuit, and a radio chip (ROC) in sequence. At the same time, multiple phase shifters are coupled to a controller, and each phase shifter is coupled to multiple antennas in an antenna array through a power amplifier (PA). In this way, although different sub-bands do not have frequency division pointing capabilities, the number of digital intermediate frequency circuits is saved and power consumption is controllable. Figure 4 As shown, in another type of transmission link architecture, the baseband processing chip is coupled to multiple phase shifters in the phase shift circuit through the CFR circuit, the DPD circuit, the radio chip (ROC) and the power amplifier in sequence. At the same time, the phase shift circuit can be controlled by a controller, and each phase shifter is coupled to multiple antennas in the antenna array through a power amplifier. In this way, the number of power amplifiers and digital intermediate frequency circuits can be reduced, further reducing power consumption and cost. Therefore, Figure 4 The architecture in is currently the most widely used. Figure 5As shown in the figure, using the above architecture, the entire antenna array can usually only produce one synthetic analog beam in the full bandwidth at the same time, and the vertical and horizontal widths of the analog beam are limited. In the public signaling time slot, the analog beam corresponding to the public signal such as synchronization signal / PBCH Block (SSB), remaining minimum system information (RMSI), and paging signal is currently preferred to be sent through the antenna array. The service data is often sent in a non-optimal analog beam ( Figure 5 The dashed line simulated beam in the figure). If the user is not within the pointing range of the public signal simulated beam in the public signal time slot, the optimal antenna gain cannot be obtained. For non-public signaling time slots, the time division method is currently usually used. The antenna array only sends one service simulated beam at the same time. Even if there are multiple signals at the same time, it cannot be compatible with multiple simulated beams. Therefore, whether in the public signaling time slot or the non-public signaling time slot, it is very likely that some users will not be able to obtain the optimal antenna gain. Between different time slots, the performance of these user service channels is not stable, and the quality of the received signal will fluctuate significantly, which will affect the user experience.

[0039] In order to solve the above problems, the embodiment of the present application provides a signal sending method, which can be applied to the network device 600. Figure 6 As shown, the network device 600 includes a controller 610, a phase shift circuit 620 coupled to the controller 610, a memory 640 coupled to the controller 610, and an antenna array 630 coupled to the phase shift circuit 620. The phase shift circuit 620 is also coupled to a baseband processing chip 660 via an RF link 650. The controller 610 includes but is not limited to a central processing unit (CPU), a network processing unit (NPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a digital signal processor (DSP) or a general-purpose processor. Figure 7 As shown, when the network device 600 needs to send a signal, it can be executed in the following manner.

[0040] S701. The controller receives current status information of the network device.

[0041] Among them, the current state information of the network device 600 includes at least one of the location information of the network device 600, the current time, the current communication time slot, the user distribution information and the user traffic. The operator can set the corresponding configuration information based on at least one of the location information of the network device 600, the current time, the current communication time slot, the user distribution information and the user traffic. Among them, the location information of the network device 600 can be obtained by a positioning sensor. The positioning sensor can be selected from but not limited to a GPS sensor and a Beidou positioning sensor. The current time of the network device 600 can be obtained by setting a clock module on the network device 600. The communication time slot can be confirmed by the frame structure of the channel transmitted during the communication process. Among them, different channel frame structures can be used in different communication time slots, so as to facilitate the distinction between each communication time slot. The user traffic can be judged by counting the size of the user transmission data packet. The user distribution information can be obtained by detection or calculated by information such as the delay reported by the user.

[0042] Of course, the types of the above-mentioned status information and the detection methods of various information can also use other conventional methods in the art, and the embodiments of the present application do not impose specific limitations on this.

[0043] S702. The controller obtains first configuration information from the memory according to the above state information.

[0044] In one embodiment, the first configuration information is used to indicate that multiple subarrays in the antenna array 630 output multiple types of analog beams. The first configuration information may describe the addresses of the antennas contained in each subarray and the phase of the phase shifter corresponding to each antenna in the form of a list. The first configuration information may be stored in the memory 640, which may indicate the phase of the phase shifter in the phase shift circuit 620 in the form of a list. The controller 610 may read the first configuration information from the memory 640 according to the set reading path when the network device 600 is started. Alternatively, the controller 610 may also obtain the corresponding first configuration information from the memory 640 when the status information of the network device 600 reaches the set condition. In addition, when the first configuration information is stored in the memory, S701 is an optional step. The memory 640 may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) or a flash memory.

[0045] S703. The controller outputs a first control signal to the phase shift circuit according to the first configuration information.

[0046] Among them, the first control signal is used to instruct the phase shift circuit 620 to output multiple types of analog beams at the same time through multiple sub-arrays. Usually, the phase shift circuit 620 includes multiple phase shifters. Among them, in some antenna arrays 630, the input end of each phase shifter is coupled to the RF link 650; the output end of each phase shifter is coupled to one or more antennas. The above-mentioned first control signal may include phase adjustment signals of multiple phase shifters. Based on this, the controller 610 can adjust the phase of the phase shifter so that the multiple sub-arrays in the antenna array 630 can output different types of analog beams. Among them, multiple types of analog beams can be output at the same time, so as to achieve compatibility of multiple analog beams on the same antenna array 630 and improve transmission efficiency.

[0047] In a possible implementation, the controller 610 may decouple the antenna array 630 into a plurality of sub-arrays of regular shapes according to the first configuration information, and then output a first control signal to the phase shift circuit 620 according to the analog beam type of each sub-array.

[0048] In order to more clearly understand the decoupling method of the above-mentioned antenna array 630, the embodiment of the present application takes the output ends of each phase shifter in the phase shift circuit 620 coupled to multiple antennas, and the antenna array 630 is set perpendicular to the ground as an example to illustrate the above-mentioned decoupling method. Among them, for different scenarios, different decoupling methods can be used to decouple into multiple sub-arrays with regular shapes. For example, in the common signaling time slot, after the antenna array 630 is decoupled, a part of the sub-arrays can be used to send common signal simulation beams, and another part of the sub-arrays can be used to send business simulation beams. Different array decoupling methods can also be used for different scenario requirements, and the specific contents are as follows.

[0049] Embodiment 1

[0050] In some application scenarios, the terminal device has a smaller requirement for the vertical dimension of the simulated beam (for example, in suburban areas where the distance between buildings is large and the building height is low). In this case, the antenna array 630 can be decoupled into multiple sub-arrays in a direction parallel to the ground. For example, Figure 8 As shown, assuming that the antenna array 630 is arranged in a rectangular shape and the antenna array 630 is set perpendicular to the ground, the antenna array 630 can be decoupled into two sub-arrays (A1 and A2) in a direction parallel to the ground. Among them, one of the two sub-arrays is used to send a public signal analog beam (for example, sending an analog beam corresponding to a public signal such as SSB, RMSI and paging), and the other sub-array is used to send a service analog beam (for example, service data of a certain application) at the same time.

[0051] When executing the above process, the controller 610 can first determine whether the location of the network device 600 has a small demand for the vertical dimension of the simulated beam through the location information obtained by the positioning sensor. If it is determined that the location of the network device 600 has a small demand for the vertical dimension of the simulated beam, the controller 610 can obtain the corresponding configuration information from the memory. Then, according to the configuration information, the antenna array 630 is decoupled with reference to the above method, and the corresponding control signal is output to the phase shift circuit 620 to adjust the phase of each phase shifter in the phase shift circuit 620, so as to output the corresponding simulated beam through each sub-array. In addition, the number of sub-arrays when the above-mentioned antenna array 630 is decoupled in the above-mentioned manner can be adjusted according to actual needs, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0052] Of course, this is just an example provided in the embodiment of the present application. The above decoupling solution can also be executed when the acquired location information is within a set range or meets other judgment conditions.

[0053] Embodiment 2

[0054] In some application scenarios, the terminal device has a greater demand for the vertical dimension of the simulated beam (for example, the distance between buildings in urban areas is small and the building height is large). In this case, the antenna array 630 can be decoupled into multiple sub-arrays in the direction perpendicular to the ground. For example, Fig. 9 As shown, assuming that the antenna array 630 is arranged in a rectangular shape and the antenna array 630 is set in a manner perpendicular to the ground, the antenna array 630 can be decoupled into two sub-arrays (B1 and B2) in a direction perpendicular to the ground. Among them, one of the two sub-arrays is used to send a public signal analog beam (for example, sending an analog beam corresponding to a public signal such as SSB, RMSI and paging), and the other sub-array is used to send a service analog beam (for example, service data of a certain application) at the same time.

[0055] When executing the above process, the controller 610 can first determine whether the location of the network device 600 has a greater demand for the vertical dimension of the simulated beam through the location information obtained by the positioning sensor. If it is determined that the location of the network device 600 has a greater demand for the vertical dimension of the simulated beam, the controller 610 can obtain the corresponding configuration information from the memory. Then, according to the configuration information, the antenna array 630 is decoupled in accordance with the above method, and the corresponding first control signal is output to the phase shift circuit 620 to adjust the phase of each phase shifter in the phase shift circuit 620, so as to output the corresponding simulated beam through each sub-array. In addition, the number of sub-arrays when the above-mentioned antenna array 630 is decoupled in the above-mentioned manner can be adjusted according to actual needs, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0056] Embodiment 3

[0057] In some application scenarios, it is confirmed through user distribution information that the user density is relatively large and the transmission requirements for the service data of each user are relatively high (i.e., the user service volume is relatively large). At this time, a larger sub-array can be used to transmit the service simulation beam. Exemplarily, as Fig.10 shown, assuming that the antenna array 630 is arranged in a rectangular shape and the antenna array 630 is arranged perpendicular to the ground, the entire antenna array 630 can be regarded as four rectangular units in a "field" shape. Among them, the antennas corresponding to 3 rectangular units are used as the first sub-array (C1), and the antennas corresponding to one rectangular unit are used as the second sub-array (C2). Then, the service simulation beam is sent through the first sub-array, and the common signal simulation beam is sent through the second sub-array.

[0058] When performing the above process, the controller 610 can determine whether the current user service exceeds the set threshold by detecting the user service volume. If the current user service exceeds the set threshold, the controller 610 can obtain the corresponding configuration information from the memory. Then, according to the configuration information, the antenna array 630 is decoupled in the above manner, and a corresponding first control signal is output to the phase shifter circuit 620 to adjust the phases of the phase shifters in the phase shifter circuit 620, so as to output the corresponding simulation beam through each sub-array. In addition, the number of sub-arrays when decoupling the antenna array 630 in the above manner can be adjusted according to actual needs, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0059] Embodiment 4

[0060] As Fig.11 shown, assuming that the antenna array 630 is arranged in a rectangular shape and the antenna array 630 is arranged perpendicular to the ground, if multiple service simulation beams and common signal simulation beams need to be sent simultaneously, the entire antenna array 630 can be regarded as four rectangular units (D1 to D4) in a "field" shape. Among them, each rectangular unit is used as a sub-array (i.e., the entire antenna array 630 is decoupled into 4 sub-arrays), and three of the sub-arrays can be used to send different service simulation beams simultaneously, and one sub-array is used to send the common signal simulation beam.

[0061] When executing the above process, the controller 610 can confirm whether it is necessary to send multiple types of service simulation beams and public signal simulation beams according to the current user traffic and user distribution information. For example, when it is confirmed through user distribution information that the user distribution is relatively dispersed and there are many users with large traffic, it can be selected to decouple the antenna array into multiple sub-arrays in the above manner and send multiple types of simulation beams at the same time. Among them, the operator can set the corresponding configuration information according to actual needs. The controller 610 can obtain the current time and location information, and confirm whether the current time is in a preset time period. If the current time is in a preset time period, the controller 610 can read the corresponding configuration information and send a control signal to the phase shift circuit 620 according to the configuration information, adjust the phase of each phase shifter in the phase shift circuit 620, so as to output multiple types of simulation beams through multiple sub-arrays; at the same time, when the antenna array is decoupled, it can also be further combined with the current communication time slot, user distribution information and user traffic for comprehensive analysis, and the embodiment of the present application will not be repeated here.

[0062] In a possible implementation, the controller 610 may decouple the antenna array into a plurality of irregularly shaped sub-arrays according to the first configuration information, and then output a first control signal to the phase shift circuit 620 according to the simulated beam type of each sub-array.

[0063] In order to more clearly understand the decoupling method of the antenna array, the embodiment of the present application takes the output end of each phase shifter in the phase shift circuit 620 coupled to multiple antennas, and the antenna array is arranged perpendicular to the ground as an example to illustrate the decoupling method. For example, the antenna array can be decoupled into multiple irregularly shaped sub-arrays by different decoupling methods for different scenarios, and the specific contents are as follows.

[0064] Embodiment 5

[0065] For example, Fig.12 As shown, it is assumed that the antenna array is arranged in a rectangular shape and the antenna array is set perpendicular to the ground. If multiple types of analog beams need to be sent at this time, the antenna array can be decoupled into multiple irregularly shaped sub-arrays (E1~E3) according to actual needs. Then, different types of analog beams are sent through each sub-array. Among them, the decoupling method of the antenna array can be set according to actual needs, and the embodiment of the present application does not make specific restrictions on this.

[0066] In the above-mentioned embodiments, if the antenna array is not arranged perpendicular to the ground, the antenna array may be decoupled into a plurality of sub-arrays with regular or irregular shapes by referring to the above-mentioned decoupling method.

[0067] Further, the decoupling methods of the antenna arrays in the above-mentioned embodiments can be freely combined or transformed according to actual needs to better meet the usage requirements in various scenarios. For example, when the controller 610 confirms that the network device 600 is in the suburbs through the acquired location information, the solution of the first embodiment can be used to decouple the antenna array and send the corresponding simulated beams through each subarray. Then, the controller 610 can obtain the current time in real time or intermittently. If the current time is in a preset time period, the antenna array can be decoupled with reference to the method of the fourth embodiment, so that multiple service simulation beams and public signal simulation beams are sent through multiple subarrays. In addition, the decoupling method of the antenna array can also be confirmed in combination with multiple types of status information, and is not limited to decoupling the antenna array according to a certain type of status information. For example, the controller 610 can obtain at least two of the location information, current time, current communication time slot, user distribution information, and user traffic of the network device 600. Then, a comprehensive analysis is made as to which specific method is used to decouple the antenna array. Exemplarily, the priority of the above four information can be set. Then, the corresponding configuration information is obtained according to the information with the highest priority, and the antenna array is decoupled according to the configuration information to send multiple types of simulated beams at the same time.

[0068] Of course, the above scheme is only an example provided by the embodiment of the present application. Among them, different types of simulated beams can also include simulated beams of various forms and angles, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose specific restrictions on this. The specific decoupling method of the antenna array and the type of simulated beam sent by each subarray after the antenna array is decoupled can be set according to actual use requirements, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose specific restrictions on this. In addition, in actual use, the antenna array can also be decoupled into multiple subarrays of regular shapes in other ways, for example, decoupling can be performed according to diagonals, decoupling can be performed according to a U-shaped decoupling, etc. At the same time, the number of subarrays can also be adjusted according to the number of signals that need to be sent at the same time, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0069] In addition, in non-public signaling time slots or uplink time slots, the antenna array can also be decoupled into multiple sub-arrays of regular or irregular shapes according to the needs of the scene with reference to the above-mentioned decoupling method. Among them, the type of simulated beam sent by the sub-array of the public signaling time slot in the non-public signaling time slot can be the same or different. In the uplink time slot, if the antenna array is decoupled in the manner of the above-mentioned embodiments one to three, the simulated beam of the physical random access channel (PRACH) can be sent through one sub-array, and the simulated beam of the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) or the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) can be sent through another sub-array at the same time. If the decoupling method of the above-mentioned embodiment four is adopted, each of the four sub-arrays can send a simulated beam of a channel. For example, the four sub-arrays can respectively send simulated beams of PRACH, PUSCH of two different users, and PUCCH. If the decoupling method of the fifth embodiment is adopted, the analog beams sent by each subarray can be set according to actual needs. At the same time, the angles of each analog beam can be adjusted according to actual needs, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose specific restrictions on this. Further, in different time slots, the number of subarrays and the shape of the subarrays when the antenna array 630 is decoupled in the above manner, as well as the channels sent on each subarray can be adjusted according to actual needs, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0070] In a possible implementation, when the user distribution is relatively concentrated or is far away from the network device 600, the controller 610 can obtain the second configuration information. The second configuration information is used to instruct the entire antenna array to output a single analog beam. Then, the controller 610 can output a third control signal to the phase shift circuit 620 according to the second configuration information. The third control signal is used to instruct the phase shift circuit 620 to output a single analog beam through the entire antenna array. Among them, the second configuration information can be pre-stored in the memory of the network device 600 by the operator according to the needs of the usage scenario. The controller 610 can read the second configuration information directly from the memory after power-on. Then, the phase shift circuit is controlled to send the analog beam through the entire antenna array according to the second configuration information.

[0071] In a possible implementation, after the antenna array is decoupled into multiple sub-arrays, the gain of the analog beam output by each sub-array will decrease, thereby reducing the transmission distance of the signal. In order to meet the requirements for the transmission distance of the signal after the antenna array is decoupled, the power of the analog beam output by each sub-array in the antenna array can be adjusted. In order to solve this problem, the above-mentioned network device 600 also includes a variable gain amplifier circuit 670. In an example, the variable gain amplifier circuit 670 may include multiple variable power amplifiers. Among them, Fig.13 As shown, each phase shifter in the phase shift circuit is coupled to one or more corresponding antennas in the antenna array through a variable power amplifier. The controller 610 can control the power of the analog beams sent by each sub-array in the antenna array through the variable power amplifier. In another example, the variable gain amplifier circuit can also use only one variable power amplifier. Fig.14 As shown, the variable gain amplifier circuit 670 can also be selectively coupled to the phase shift circuit 620, that is, multiple phase shifters in the phase shift circuit are coupled to the RF link 650 through the same variable power amplifier. Based on this, the variable gain amplifier circuit 670 only needs to use one variable power amplifier to control the power of the analog beams sent by one or more sub-arrays in the antenna array, thereby reducing costs.

[0072] In one example, assuming that a certain subarray is 1 / X of the entire antenna array, the power (dB) boost value Z of the subarray can be calculated as follows:

[0073] Z=10lgX.

[0074] In the above implementation process, the power boost value of each subarray can also be set according to actual needs, and is not limited to being calculated according to the above method. For example, when a subarray is 1 / 2 of the entire antenna array, the power boost value of the subarray is 3dB. For example, when a subarray is 1 / 4 of the entire antenna array, the power boost value of the subarray is 6dB.

[0075] In one possible embodiment, Fig.15As shown, the embodiment of the present application also provides an electronic device 1500, which includes a processor 1510 and a memory 1520 coupled to the processor 1510. The memory 1520 stores computer program instructions, which can implement the above-mentioned signal sending method when executed by the processor 1510. The processor 1510 includes but is not limited to a central processing unit (CPU), a network processing unit (NPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a digital signal processor (DSP) or a general processor. The memory 1520 can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) or a flash memory.

[0076] In one embodiment, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer program instructions. When the computer program instructions are executed by the processor, the above-mentioned signal transmission method is implemented. Among them, the computer-readable storage medium can be a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a disk or an optical disk, etc., which can store program codes.

[0077] The method steps in the above embodiments can be implemented by hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, hard disks, mobile hard disks, CD-ROMs or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a terminal device. Of course, the processor and the storage medium can also exist as discrete components in a network device or a terminal device.

[0078] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When a computer program or instruction is loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function of the embodiment of the present application is executed in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device or other programmable device. The computer program or instruction can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer program or instruction can be transmitted from one website site, computer, server or data center to another website site, computer, server or data center by wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video disc (DVD); it can also be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid state drive (SSD).

[0079] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, and these modifications or replacements should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A signal sending method, characterized in that: A controller applied to a network device, wherein the network device further comprises a phase shift circuit coupled to the controller, and an antenna array coupled to the phase shift circuit; the method comprises: Acquire first configuration information; the first configuration information is used to instruct multiple sub-arrays in the antenna array to output multiple types of analog beams at the same time; According to the first configuration information, a first control signal is output to the phase shift circuit; the first control signal is used to instruct the phase shift circuit to output multiple types of analog beams at the same time through the multiple sub-arrays.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of obtaining the first configuration information includes: Receiving current status information of the network device; The first configuration information is acquired according to the state information.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The state information includes at least one of the location information of the network device, the current time, the current communication time slot, user distribution information and user traffic.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The step of outputting a first control signal to the phase shift circuit according to the first configuration information includes: Decoupling the antenna array into a plurality of sub-arrays of regular shapes according to the first configuration information; The first control signal is output to the phase shift circuit according to the simulated beam type of each of the sub-arrays.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The step of outputting a first control signal to the phase shift circuit according to the first configuration information includes: Decoupling the antenna array into a plurality of irregularly shaped sub-arrays according to the first configuration information; The first control signal is output to the phase shift circuit according to the simulated beam type of each of the sub-arrays.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The network device further includes a variable gain amplifier circuit; the variable gain amplifier circuit is coupled between the antenna array and the phase shift circuit; the method further includes: According to the first configuration information, a second control signal is sent to the variable gain amplifier circuit; the second control signal is used to instruct the variable gain amplifier circuit to increase the power of the analog beam output by each of the sub-arrays.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The network device further includes a variable gain amplifier circuit; the variable gain amplifier circuit is coupled to the phase shift circuit; the method further includes: According to the first configuration information, a second control signal is sent to the variable gain amplifier circuit; the second control signal is used to instruct the variable gain amplifier circuit to increase the power of the analog beam output by each of the sub-arrays.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The power boost range of the analog beam output by each of the sub-arrays is determined according to the ratio of each of the sub-arrays to the antenna array.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Acquire second configuration information; the second configuration information is used to instruct the entire antenna array to output a single analog beam; According to the second configuration information, a third control signal is output to the phase shift circuit; the third control signal is used to instruct the phase shift circuit to output the single analog beam through the entire antenna array.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: The method comprises a memory and a processor; the memory stores computer program instructions; and when the computer program instructions are executed by the processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: Computer program instructions are stored; when the computer program instructions are executed by the processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented.

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