Energy-saving method and related equipment

Abstract

The invention provides an energy-saving method and related equipment, which are used for realizing multiple different energy-saving modes of a radio frequency module comprising N devices in a mode of dynamically turning off part of or all the devices, and can improve the energy-saving realization flexibility so as to improve the energy-saving effect. In the method, a radio frequency module operates a target energy-saving mode in M energy-saving modes, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; wherein the radio frequency module comprises N devices, when P devices in the N devices are turned off, the radio frequency module operates one energy-saving mode in the M energy-saving modes, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and P is a positive integer.

Description

Energy-saving method and related equipment Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to an energy-saving method and related equipment. Background Art

[0002] As wireless communication technology evolves from 2G, 3G, and 4G to 5G and, in the future, 6G, network communication standards are also evolving, placing increasing demands on the carrying capacity of network equipment. Network equipment can enhance its carrying capacity by adding components such as filters and power amplifiers (PAs).

[0003] However, due to the increase in the number of components in network equipment, the power consumption of network equipment will be greatly increased. Therefore, how to achieve energy-saving optimization of network equipment is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides an energy-saving method and related equipment, which are used to implement multiple different energy-saving modes of the radio frequency module by dynamically shutting down some or all of the devices in the radio frequency module containing N devices, thereby improving the flexibility of energy-saving implementation and improving the energy-saving effect.

[0006] The first aspect of the present application provides an energy-saving method, which is applied to a radio frequency module in a network device. The method is executed by the radio frequency module, or the method is executed by some components in the radio frequency module (such as a processor, a chip or a chip system, etc.), or the method can also be implemented by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the radio frequency module. In the first aspect and its possible implementation, the method is described as being executed by the radio frequency module. In this method, the radio frequency module runs a target energy-saving mode among M energy-saving modes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; wherein, the radio frequency module includes N devices, and when P devices among the N devices are turned off, the radio frequency module runs one of the M energy-saving modes, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and P is a positive integer.

[0007] Based on the above technical solution, the RF module can run a target energy-saving mode among M energy-saving modes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. Specifically, in an RF module comprising N devices, when P of the N devices are turned off, the RF module can be made to run one of the M energy-saving modes, and the target energy-saving mode is one of the M energy-saving modes. Therefore, compared to the implementation method of achieving energy saving by turning off a fixed combination of devices, the RF module comprising N devices can achieve a variety of different energy-saving modes by dynamically turning off some or all of the devices, thereby improving the flexibility of energy-saving implementation and thereby improving the energy-saving effect.

[0008] Optionally, the RF module can be used to process RF signals. The RF module can be replaced by a RF signal processing module, a RF link module, a RF processing module, or other names, which are not limited here. Similarly, the processing module mentioned later can be used to process baseband signals. The processing module can be replaced by a baseband signal processing module, a baseband processing module, or other names, which are not limited here.

[0009] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the N devices include at least two of the following: a power amplifier, a digital-to-analog converter, an analog-to-digital converter, or a filter.

[0010] It can be understood that the N devices are used to process radio frequency signals. In addition to the at least two items mentioned above, other devices may also be included, such as possible devices for implementing at least one of coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding, resource element (RE) mapping, digital beamforming (BF), inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), adding a cyclic prefix (CP) and analog BF. For example, there may be at least one function of decoding, rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, inverse discrete Fourier transformation (IDFT), and RU is used to implement channel equalization (or channel estimation), RE mapping, digital BF, fast Fourier transform (FFT), CP removal and analog BF.

[0011] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: the radio frequency module receives first information, the first information indicating the target energy-saving mode, the energy-saving mode, and at least one of the energy-saving time information; the radio frequency module operates the target energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes, including: the radio frequency module operates the target energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes based on the first information.

[0012] Based on the above technical solution, the RF module can receive first information indicating at least one of the target energy-saving mode, energy-saving method and energy-saving time information, so that the RF module runs the target energy-saving mode based on the instruction of the first information.

[0013] For example, when the first information at least indicates the target energy-saving mode, the radio frequency module may explicitly run the target energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes based on the indication of the first information.

[0014] For another example, when the first information at least indicates an energy-saving mode, the radio frequency module may explicitly execute the energy-saving mode indicated by the first information based on the instruction of the first information.

[0015] For another example, when the first information at least indicates energy-saving time information, the radio frequency module may explicitly operate in energy-saving mode within the time period indicated by the energy-saving time information based on the indication of the first information.

[0016] Optionally, the RF module can also obtain the first information through other means, for example, the RF module obtains the first information by receiving user operation instructions through an input interface (such as a mouse, keyboard, touch screen, etc.); for example, when the RF module determines locally based on calculation that energy saving will be performed, the RF module generates the first information locally; or other implementation methods, which are not limited here.

[0017] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the energy saving mode includes at least one of the following: channel shutoff, subframe shutoff, carrier shutoff, deep sleep, or symbol shutoff.

[0018] Based on the above technical solution, when the first information indicates an energy-saving mode, the energy-saving mode indicated by the first information can be implemented by at least one of the above items to improve the flexibility of implementing the energy-saving mode.

[0019] Optionally, in addition to at least one of the above implementations, the energy saving method may also be implemented in other ways, such as cell dormancy, power off, etc., as well as other possible energy saving methods, which are not limited here.

[0020] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the energy-saving time information includes at least one of the following: a start time, an end time, or a duration.

[0021] Based on the above technical solution, when the first information indicates energy-saving time information, the energy-saving time information indicated by the first information can be implemented by at least one of the above items to improve the flexibility of energy-saving time configuration.

[0022] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the first information comes from a processing module, wherein the radio frequency module and the processing module are located in the same network device.

[0023] Based on the above technical solution, when the first information comes from the processing module, since the radio frequency module and the processing module are located in the same network device, energy-saving control of the radio frequency module can be implemented within the same network device, which can improve the timeliness of energy-saving control and achieve energy-saving control quickly.

[0024] Optionally, the processing module is a base band unit (BBU).

[0025] Optionally, the radio frequency module is any one of the following: a radio remote unit (RRU) mode, an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote relay node (RRN).

[0026] Optionally, the RF module and the processing module may be located in different devices. For example, the processing module is located in an external device of the RF module. For another example, the processing module is located in a network management device (for example, an operations support system (0SS), a distributed base station system (DBS), etc.), or other implementation methods are not limited here.

[0027] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the method further includes: the radio frequency module sending second information, where the second information indicates support for the M energy-saving modes.

[0028] Based on the above technical solution, before the RF module runs the target energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes, the RF module can also send second information indicating that the RF module supports the M energy-saving modes, so that the recipient of the second information can use the second information as one of the bases for determining the first information.

[0029] The second aspect of the present application provides an energy-saving method, which is applied to a processing module, and the method is executed by the processing module, or the method is executed by some components in the processing module (such as a processor, a chip or a chip system, etc.), or the method can also be implemented by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the processing module. In the second aspect and its possible implementation, the method is described as being executed by the processing module. In this method, the processing module determines first information, and the first information indicates a target energy-saving mode among M energy-saving modes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; the processing module sends the first information to the radio frequency module; wherein the radio frequency module includes N devices, and when P devices among the N devices are turned off, the radio frequency module runs one of the M energy-saving modes, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and P is a positive integer.

[0030] Based on the above technical solution, the first information determined and sent by the processing module indicates a target energy-saving mode among M energy-saving modes, so that after the RF module receives the first information, the RF module can run the target energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. Specifically, in a RF module comprising N devices, when P of the N devices are turned off, the RF module can run one of the M energy-saving modes, and the target energy-saving mode is one of the M energy-saving modes. Therefore, compared to the implementation method of achieving energy saving by turning off a fixed combination of devices, achieving a variety of different energy-saving modes of the RF module by dynamically turning off some or all of the devices in a RF module comprising N devices can improve the flexibility of energy-saving implementation, thereby improving the energy-saving effect.

[0031] It should be understood that in the present application, the processing module is used to implement energy-saving control of the radio frequency module based on the first information, and the processing module can be implemented in various ways.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the RF module and the processing module are located in the same network device. Since the RF module and the processing module are located in the same network device, energy-saving control of the RF module can be implemented within the same network device, thereby improving the timeliness of energy-saving control and enabling rapid energy-saving control. For example, the processing module is a baseband unit (BBU), and the RF module is any one of the following: a radio remote unit (RRU) mode, an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote relay node (RRN).

[0033] In another possible implementation, the radio frequency module and the processing module may be located in different devices. For example, the processing module may be located in an external device of the radio frequency module, or in a network management device (e.g., an operations support system (OSS), a distributed base station system (DBS), etc.), or in other implementations, which are not limited here.

[0034] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the N devices include at least two of the following: a power amplifier, a digital-to-analog converter, an analog-to-digital converter, or a filter.

[0035] It can be understood that the N devices are used to process radio frequency signals. In addition to the at least two items mentioned above, other devices may also be included, such as possible devices for implementing at least one of coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding, resource element (RE) mapping, digital beamforming (BF), inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), adding a cyclic prefix (CP) and analog BF. For example, there may be at least one function of decoding, rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, inverse discrete Fourier transformation (IDFT), and RU is used to implement channel equalization (or channel estimation), RE mapping, digital BF, fast Fourier transform (FFT), CP removal and analog BF.

[0036] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the first information further indicates at least one of an energy-saving mode and energy-saving time information.

[0037] Based on the above technical solution, the first information may further indicate at least one of an energy-saving mode and energy-saving time information, so that the radio frequency module runs the target energy-saving mode based on the instruction of the first information.

[0038] For example, when the first information at least indicates an energy-saving mode, the radio frequency module may explicitly execute the energy-saving mode indicated by the first information based on the instruction of the first information.

[0039] For another example, when the first information at least indicates energy-saving time information, the radio frequency module may explicitly operate in energy-saving mode within the time period indicated by the energy-saving time information based on the indication of the first information.

[0040] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the energy saving mode includes at least one of the following: channel shutoff, subframe shutoff, carrier shutoff, deep sleep, or symbol shutoff.

[0041] Based on the above technical solution, when the first information indicates an energy-saving mode, the energy-saving mode indicated by the first information can be implemented by at least one of the above items to improve the flexibility of implementing the energy-saving mode.

[0042] Optionally, in addition to at least one of the above implementations, the energy saving method may also be implemented in other ways, such as cell dormancy, power off, etc., as well as other possible energy saving methods, which are not limited here.

[0043] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the energy-saving time information includes at least one of the following: a start time, an end time, or a duration.

[0044] Based on the above technical solution, when the first information indicates energy-saving time information, the energy-saving time information indicated by the first information can be implemented by at least one of the above items to improve the flexibility of energy-saving time configuration.

[0045] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the method further includes: the processing module receiving second information, the second information indicating support for the M energy-saving modes; wherein the first information is determined at least based on the second information.

[0046] Based on the above technical solution, before the processing module determines the first information, the processing module may receive second information indicating that the radio frequency module supports the M energy-saving modes, so that the processing module determines the first information based on the second information.

[0047] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the first information is determined based at least on historical traffic information.

[0048] Based on the above technical solution, the first information indicates at least one of the target energy-saving mode, energy-saving method and energy-saving time information. When the first information is determined at least based on historical traffic information, the radio frequency module can be controlled based on the historical traffic information to save energy when the traffic is not busy (or the busyness is low), so as to avoid or reduce the impact of the energy-saving implementation process.

[0049] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device that can implement the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. The communication device includes corresponding units or modules for executing the above-mentioned method. The units or modules included in the communication device can be implemented by software and / or hardware. For example, the device can be a radio frequency module, or the device can be a component in the radio frequency module (such as a processor, a chip or a chip system, etc.), or the device can also be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the radio frequency module.

[0050] The communication device includes a processing unit, which is used to run a target energy-saving mode among M energy-saving modes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; the radio frequency module includes N devices, and when P devices among the N devices are turned off, the radio frequency module runs an energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and P is a positive integer.

[0051] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the N devices include at least two of the following: a power amplifier, a digital-to-analog converter, an analog-to-digital converter, or a filter.

[0052] In a possible implementation of the third aspect, the device also includes a transceiver unit, which is used to receive first information, and the first information indicates the target energy-saving mode, energy-saving mode and at least one of energy-saving time information; the processing unit is specifically used to run the target energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes based on the first information.

[0053] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the energy saving mode includes at least one of the following: channel shutoff, subframe shutoff, carrier shutoff, deep sleep, or symbol shutoff.

[0054] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the energy-saving time information includes at least one of the following: a start time, an end time, or a duration.

[0055] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the first information comes from a processing module, wherein the radio frequency module and the processing module are located in the same network device.

[0056] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the processing module is a baseband unit BBU.

[0057] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the radio frequency module is any one of the following: a remote radio unit RRU, an active antenna unit AAU, or a remote relay node RRN.

[0058] In a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the apparatus further includes a transceiver unit configured to send second information, where the second information indicates support for the M energy-saving modes.

[0059] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device that can implement the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. The communication device includes corresponding units or modules for executing the above-mentioned method. The units or modules included in the communication device can be implemented by software and / or hardware. For example, the device can be a processing module, or the device can be a component in the processing module (such as a processor, chip or chip system, etc.), or the device can also be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the processing module.

[0060] The communication device includes a processing unit and a transceiver unit, the processing unit is used to determine first information, the first information indicating a target energy-saving mode among M energy-saving modes, M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; the transceiver unit is used to send the first information to the radio frequency module; the radio frequency module includes N devices, when P devices among the N devices are turned off, the radio frequency module runs one of the M energy-saving modes, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and P is a positive integer.

[0061] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the N devices include at least two of the following: a power amplifier, a digital-to-analog converter, an analog-to-digital converter, or a filter.

[0062] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the first information further indicates at least one of an energy-saving mode and energy-saving time information.

[0063] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the energy saving method includes at least one of the following: channel shutdown, subframe shutdown, carrier shutdown, deep sleep, or symbol shutdown.

[0064] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the energy-saving time information includes at least one of the following: a start time, an end time, or a duration.

[0065] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the radio frequency module and the processing module are located in the same network device.

[0066] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the processing module is a baseband unit BBU.

[0067] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the radio frequency module is any one of the following: a remote radio unit RRU, an active antenna unit AAU, or a remote relay node RRN.

[0068] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to receive second information, where the second information indicates support for the M energy-saving modes; wherein the first information is determined at least based on the second information.

[0069] In a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the first information is determined based at least on historical traffic information.

[0070] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory; the processor is used to execute the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the processor is used to execute the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0071] For example, the memory is used to store programs or instructions; the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions so that the device implements the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or so that the device implements the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0072] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to execute the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the logic circuit is used to execute the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0073] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor executes the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the processor executes the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0074] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product (or computer program). When the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method of the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the processor executes the method of the above-mentioned second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0075] In the ninth aspect of the present application, a chip system is provided, which includes at least one processor for supporting a communication device to implement the functions involved in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation method of the first aspect, or for supporting a communication device to implement the functions involved in the above-mentioned second aspect or any possible implementation method of the second aspect.

[0076] In one possible design, the chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete components. Optionally, the chip system may further include an interface circuit for providing program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0077] The tenth aspect of the present application provides a communication system, which includes the communication device of the third aspect and the call device of the fourth aspect, or the communication system includes the communication device of the fifth aspect, or the communication system includes the communication device of the sixth aspect.

[0078] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method from the third aspect to the tenth aspect can refer to the technical effects brought about by the above-mentioned first aspect or second aspect and its different design methods, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0079] Figures 1 to 3 are some schematic diagrams of the communication system provided by this application;

[0080] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the energy-saving method provided by the present application;

[0081] Figures 5, 6a and 6b are schematic diagrams of some application scenarios provided by this application;

[0082] 7 to 9 are some schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0083] The technical solutions in this application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in this application. Based on this application, all other solutions obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0084] First, some terms in this application are explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0085] (1) Terminal device: This can be a wireless terminal device that can receive scheduling and instruction information from network devices. A wireless terminal device can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, a handheld device with wireless connection capabilities, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem.

[0086] The terminal device can communicate with one or more core networks or the Internet via a radio access network (RAN). The terminal device can be a mobile terminal device, such as a mobile phone (also known as a "cellular" phone, mobile phone), a computer, and a data card. Alternatively, the terminal device can be a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in, or vehicle-mounted mobile device that exchanges voice and / or data with the radio access network. Alternatively, the terminal device can be, for example, a personal communication service (PCS) phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer (Pad), or a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities. A wireless terminal device may also be referred to as a system, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile station (MS), a remote station, an access point (AP), a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, a user agent, a subscriber station (SS), a customer premises equipment (CPE), a terminal, a user equipment (UE), a mobile terminal (MT), etc. The terminal device may also be a wearable device or a terminal device in a next-generation communication system, for example, a terminal device in a sixth-generation (6G) communication system or a terminal device in a future-evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc.

[0087] (2) Network equipment: It can be a device in a wireless network. For example, a network device can be a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects a terminal device to a wireless network, which can also be called a base station. Some examples of RAN equipment are: a new generation base station (gNodeB), 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 (Wi-Fi) access point (AP). In addition, in a network structure, a network device can be a module or unit that implements part of the functions of the above-mentioned base station. The module or unit can be called an access network module, an access network element, or an access network unit, without limitation. For example, the network device may be a centralized unit (CU) node, a distributed unit (DU) node, or a RAN device including a CU node and a DU node. Alternatively, the network device may be a module or unit in an open access network (open RAN, ORAN or O-RAN). For example, the network device may be a CU, DU, CU-CP, CU-UP, or radio unit (RU) in O-RAN.

[0088] In some implementations, the network device may also include a satellite, an aircraft, etc.

[0089] In addition, in other possible cases, the network device may be other devices that provide wireless communication functions for the terminal device. This application does not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the network device. For the convenience of description, this application does not limit it.

[0090] Optionally, the network device may further include a core network device, which may include, for example, an access and mobility management function (AMF), a user plane function (UPF) or a session management function (SMF).

[0091] In this application, the device for implementing the function of a network device can be a network device, or a device that can support the network device to implement the function, such as a processor, chip, chip system, etc. The device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device. In the technical solution provided in this application, the technical solution provided in this application is described by taking the device for implementing the function of a network device as an example.

[0092] In this application, the device for implementing the function of the terminal device can be the terminal device, or it can be a device that can support the terminal device to implement the function, such as a processor, chip, chip system, etc. The device can be installed in the terminal device or used in combination with the terminal device. In the technical solution provided in this application, the technical solution provided in this application is described by taking the terminal device as an example in which the device for implementing the function of the terminal device is the terminal device.

[0093] (3) The terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. "At least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. In addition, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the order, timing, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0094] The present application can be applied to a long term evolution (LTE) system, a new radio (NR) system, an O-RAN system, or a new wireless vehicle network (NR vehicle to everything, NR V2X) system; or a system with a hybrid network of multiple access technologies (such as LTE and 5G); or a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication system, an Internet of Things (IoT), or a drone communication system; or a communication system that supports multiple wireless technologies such as LTE and NR technologies; or a non-ground communication system, such as a satellite communication system, a high-altitude communication platform, etc. Alternatively, the present application may also be applied to a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) system, an enhanced data rate global system for mobile communications (GSM) evolution system (EDGE), a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, a code division multiple access 2000 (CDMA2000) system, a time division-synchronization code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) system, a system using future-oriented communication technologies, or other communication systems.

[0095] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the solution provided by the present application can be applied to the communication system 1000 shown in Figure 1, which includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. The RAN 100 may include at least one access network device (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110). The RAN 100 may also include at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The terminals 120a-120j are connected to the access network devices 110a, 110b via wireless means. The access network devices 110a, 110b are connected to the core network 200 via wireless or wired means. The core network devices in the core network and the access network devices in the radio access network can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates the core network logical functions and the radio access network logical functions, without limitation. The terminals can be connected to each other via wireless means. Access network devices can be connected to each other via wired or wireless connections. Figure 1 is only a schematic diagram, and the communication system may also include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1).

[0096] For example, in FIG1 , the RAN 100 may be configured as a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). For example, the RAN 100 may be configured as a 4th generation (4G) mobile communication system, a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, a future-oriented evolution system (e.g., a 6G mobile communication system), or a communication system that integrates at least two of the above systems. 5G may also be referred to as a new radio (NR). Alternatively, the RAN 100 may be configured as an open access network (ORAN or O-RAN).

[0097] The access network device in this application is sometimes also referred to as an access node. The access network device has wireless transceiver functions and can communicate with terminals.

[0098] In one possible scenario, an access network device may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. The access network device may be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1 ), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1 ), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. Optionally, the access network device may also be a server, a wearable device, or an in-vehicle device. For example, the access network device in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology may be a roadside unit (RSU). Multiple access network devices in a communication system may be base stations of the same type or different types. A base station may communicate with a terminal or communicate with the terminal through a relay station. A terminal can communicate with multiple base stations using different access technologies.

[0099] In another possible scenario, the access network device may be a module, unit or circuit that can implement some functions of the base station. The device may also be referred to as an access network network module, an access network network element or an access network network unit, etc., without limitation. For example, the access network device may be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). In the ORAN system, the CU may also be referred to as an open (O)-CU, the DU may also be referred to as an O-DU, the CU-CP may also be referred to as an O-CU-CP, the CU-UP may also be referred to as an O-CU-UP, and the RU may also be referred to as an O-RU. The CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU and RU can implement different protocol layer functions.

[0100] The communication between the access network device and the terminal device may follow a certain protocol layer structure. The protocol layer may include a control plane protocol layer and a user plane protocol layer. The control plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: a radio resource control (RRC) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a media access control (MAC) layer, or a physical (PHY) layer. The user plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, a PDCP layer, an RLC layer, a MAC layer, or a physical layer.

[0101] As an implementation example, as shown in Figure 2, the access network device may include at least one CU and at least one DU. This design can be called CU and DU separation. A CU can be connected to one or more DUs. CU and DU can be divided according to the protocol layers of the wireless network: for example, the functions of the PDCP layer and above protocol layers (such as the RRC layer and the SDAP layer, etc.) are set in the CU, and the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as the RLC layer, the MAC layer and the PHY layer, etc.) are set in the DU; for another example, the functions of the protocol layers above the PDCP layer are set in the CU, and the functions of the protocol layers at and below the PDCP layer are set in the DU, without limitation. This application does not limit the names of CU and DU. For example, CU can be called the first access network network element, DU can be called the second access network network element, etc.

[0102] The above division of the processing functions of CU and DU according to the protocol layer is only an example, and they can also be divided in other ways. For example, the CU or DU can be divided into functions with more protocol layers, or the CU or DU can be divided into partial processing functions with protocol layers. For example, some functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layers above the RLC layer are set in the CU, and the remaining functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layers below the RLC layer are set in the DU. For another example, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to the service type or other system requirements, such as by delay, and the functions whose processing time needs to meet the smaller delay requirement are set in the DU, and the functions that do not need to meet the delay requirement are set in the CU.

[0103] The CU can be connected to the core network. Optionally, the CU can have some of the functions of the core network.

[0104] Furthermore, some functions of the DU can be set separately. As shown in Figure 2, these functions can be implemented by a radio unit (RU). The RU can have a radio frequency function. This application does not limit the name of the RU. For example, the RU can be called a third access network element, etc. The DU and the RU can be split or separated at the PHY layer. For example, the DU can implement high-level functions in the PHY layer, and the RU can implement low-level functions in the PHY layer, or implement the low-level functions and radio frequency functions. The high-level functions in the PHY layer include functions that are closer to the MAC layer, and the low-level functions in the PHY layer include functions that are closer to the radio frequency. The splitting method between the DU and the RU can be various possible methods and is not limited. There is an interface between the DU and the RU. For example, depending on the splitting method, the interface between the DU and the RU can be a common public radio interface (CPRI) interface, an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI) interface, or a fronthaul interface in the ORAN. Optionally, the fronthaul interface in the ORAN can be considered as a specific example of the eCPRI interface.

[0105] For example, in O-RAN, the high-level functions of the PHY layer include one or more of the following: forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding, scrambling, or modulation / demodulation. The low-level functions of the PHY layer include one or more of the following: fast Fourier transform (FFT) transform / inverse fast Fourier transform (iFFT) transform, beamforming, or extraction and filtering of the physical random access channel (PRACH), etc. The RU can communicate RF signals with the terminal device through the air interface. The precoding function of the PHY layer can be located in the DU or in the RU. In some scenarios, the RU in ORAN is similar to the transmission reception point (TRP) or remote radio head (RRH) in 3GPP, and includes the low-level functions of the physical layer.

[0106] As an implementation example, as shown in Figure 3, an example of a possible processing flow for a CPRI interface, an eCPRI interface, and an O-RAN fronthaul interface is provided. Taking the O-RAN fronthaul interface as an example, for downlink data transmission, in the first possibility (denoted as fronthaul interface type 1), the DU is used to implement at least one of the following functions: coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, and layer mapping; and the RU is used to implement at least one of the following functions: precoding, resource element (RE) mapping, digital beamforming (BF), IFFT / cyclic prefix (CP) addition, digital-to-analog (DA) conversion, and analog BF. In the second possibility (denoted as fronthaul interface type 2), the DU is used to implement at least one of the following functions: coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding, and RE mapping; and the RU is used to implement at least one of the following functions: digital BF, IFFT / CP addition, DA conversion, and analog BF. For uplink data transmission, corresponding to type 1 and type 2 of the above-mentioned fronthaul interface, the DU is used to implement at least one of decoding, rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, and inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT), and the RU is used to implement at least one of channel equalization (or channel estimation), RE mapping, digital BF, FFT / CP removal, analog to digital (AD) conversion, and analog BF.

[0107] In recent years, green energy conservation has become a major trend. For network equipment (e.g., base stations 110a and 110b in Figure 1 , access network equipment in Figure 2 , physical layer modules and radio frequency modules in Figure 3 ), how to achieve energy conservation and emission reduction without compromising customer experience has become a hot topic among equipment vendors and operators. Taking base stations as an example, one possible energy-saving solution for base stations involves implementing subframe shutdown, channel shutdown, carrier shutdown, deep sleep, and other functions under the control of remote network management equipment.

[0108] For example, the sub-frame shutdown function refers to the base station's ability to put some components into sleep mode (or hibernate) in a timely manner according to changes in traffic volume, and the maximum length of the sleep mode needs to reach the sub-frame level.

[0109] For example, with the channel shutdown function, the base station can put some components in the RF channel into hibernation in a timely manner according to changes in business volume to reduce energy consumption.

[0110] For example, with the carrier intelligent shutdown function, the base station can intelligently turn on or off the transmission of signals within a certain bandwidth. When the number of users on this carrier is small, the users will be migrated to other carriers with allowed loads, and the current carrier will be shut down to save energy.

[0111] However, with the continuous evolution of network communication standards, the requirements for the carrying capacity of network equipment are becoming higher and higher. Among them, network equipment can enhance the carrying capacity of network equipment by adding new filters, power amplifiers (PA) and other devices. Accordingly, due to the increase in the number of devices in the network equipment, the power consumption of the network equipment will be greatly increased. In the above-mentioned energy-saving scheme applied to the base station, since the shutdown indication obtained by the base station has only one energy-saving method (that is, only one of the above-mentioned energy-saving functions will be used in a fixed manner), the various devices contained in the base station can only have one fixed shutdown method, resulting in the inability to achieve the optimal energy-saving effect. For this reason, how to achieve energy-saving optimization of network equipment is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently.

[0112] To address the above issues, this application provides an energy-saving method and related equipment for implementing multiple energy-saving modes in a radio frequency module comprising N devices by dynamically shutting down some or all of the devices. This method improves the flexibility of energy-saving implementation and thereby enhances energy-saving effects. The solution provided by this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0113] Please refer to FIG4 , which is a schematic diagram of the energy-saving method provided in this application. The method includes the following steps.

[0114] S401: The radio frequency module obtains first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate a target energy-saving mode among M energy-saving modes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0115] S402: The radio frequency module runs in a target energy-saving mode.

[0116] Specifically, the radio frequency module includes N devices. When P devices among the N devices are turned off, the radio frequency module runs one of the M energy-saving modes, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and P is a positive integer.

[0117] In step S401 , after the radio frequency module acquires first information indicating a target energy-saving mode, the radio frequency module executes the target energy-saving mode based on the first information in step S402 .

[0118] In a possible implementation, the radio frequency module is pre-configured at the factory to operate in the target energy-saving mode by default. Accordingly, step S401 is an optional step, that is, the radio frequency module executes step S402 by default without executing step S401.

[0119] In another possible implementation, when the RF module executes step S401, the first information may come from a processing module, wherein the RF module and the processing module are located in the same network device. Specifically, when the first information comes from the processing module, since the RF module and the processing module are located in the same network device, energy-saving control of the RF module can be implemented within the same network device, thereby improving the timeliness of energy-saving control and rapidly achieving energy-saving control.

[0120] Optionally, the processing module is a base band unit (BBU).

[0121] Optionally, the radio frequency module is any one of the following: a radio remote unit (RRU) mode, an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote relay node (RRN).

[0122] Optionally, the RF module and the processing module may be located in different devices. For example, the processing module is located in an external device of the RF module. For another example, the processing module is located in a network management device (for example, an operations support system (0SS), a distributed base station system (DBS), etc.), or other implementation methods are not limited here.

[0123] It should be noted that the RF module can be used for processing RF signals, and the RF module can be replaced by a RF signal processing module, a RF link module, a RF processing module, etc., or other names, which are not limited here. Similarly, the processing module in the above implementation example can be used for processing baseband signals, and the processing module can be replaced by a baseband signal processing module, a baseband processing module, etc., or other names, which are not limited here.

[0124] In a possible implementation, the N devices in the radio frequency module include at least two of the following: a power amplifier, a digital-to-analog converter, an analog-to-digital converter, or a filter.

[0125] It is understandable that the N devices used for processing radio frequency signals may include other devices in addition to the at least two items mentioned above, which will be described below with reference to the signal transmission / processing process described in FIG. 3 as an example.

[0126] In an implementation example, as shown in Figure 3, when the RF module is used to perform downlink signal transmission, the RF module may include a device for implementing at least one of the functions of coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding, resource element (RE) mapping, digital beamforming (BF), inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), adding a cyclic prefix (CP) and simulating BF.

[0127] In another implementation example, as shown in Figure 3, when the RF module is used to perform uplink signal transmission, the RF module may include a device for implementing at least one of decoding, rate matching, descrambling, demodulation, and inverse discrete Fourier transformation (IDFT), and the RU is used to implement at least one of the functions of channel equalization (or channel estimation), RE mapping, digital BF, fast Fourier transform (FFT), CP removal, and analog BF.

[0128] In a possible implementation, when the RF module executes step S401, the first information may indicate at least one of the target energy-saving mode, the energy-saving mode, and the energy-saving time information, so that the RF module operates the target energy-saving mode based on the indication of the first information.

[0129] For example, when the first information at least indicates the target energy-saving mode, the radio frequency module may explicitly run the target energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes based on the indication of the first information.

[0130] For another example, when the first information at least indicates an energy-saving mode, the radio frequency module may explicitly execute the energy-saving mode indicated by the first information based on the instruction of the first information.

[0131] For another example, when the first information at least indicates energy-saving time information, the radio frequency module may explicitly operate in energy-saving mode within the time period indicated by the energy-saving time information based on the indication of the first information.

[0132] Optionally, the RF module can also obtain the first information in step S401 through other methods, for example, the RF module obtains the first information by receiving user operation instructions through an input interface (such as a mouse, keyboard, touch screen, etc.); for example, when the RF module determines locally based on calculation that energy saving will be performed, the RF module generates the first information locally; or other implementation methods, which are not limited here.

[0133] In one possible implementation, the energy-saving mode includes at least one of the following: channel shutdown, subframe shutdown, carrier shutdown, deep sleep, or symbol shutdown. Specifically, when the first information indicates an energy-saving mode, the energy-saving mode indicated by the first information can be implemented using at least one of the above-mentioned modes to enhance the flexibility of implementing the energy-saving mode.

[0134] Optionally, in addition to at least one of the above implementations, the energy saving method may also be implemented in other ways, such as cell dormancy, power off, etc., as well as other possible energy saving methods, which are not limited here.

[0135] As an implementation example, the following will illustrate the various implementation processes of energy-saving methods using the application scenario shown in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, during the signal transmission process, the processing module can send M signals to the radio frequency module through M channels, which are respectively recorded as X1, X2...X M , so that the N devices in the RF module process M signals and transmit them through M antenna ports (each antenna port corresponds to one or more physical antennas). The N devices each include M groups of devices, and each of the M groups of devices processes one of the M signals.

[0136] It should be understood that in the example shown in Figure 5, taking the example of each device group in M ​​groups including a filter, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) / analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a PA, as mentioned above, the devices in the RF module can also be implemented in other ways, which will not be repeated here.

[0137] When the method shown in FIG. 4 is applied to the example shown in FIG. 5 , the radio frequency module may obtain first information from the processing module in step S401 .

[0138] If the first information indicates that the energy-saving mode is channel shutdown, the RF module may execute channel shutdown based on the first information in step S402. The channel shutdown may be implemented as follows: for example, the RF module determines to shut down k (k is a positive integer) channels out of the M channels through a preconfigured manner. In another example, the first information also includes indication information, which indicates the channels to be shut down. For example, the indication information may include an index number or identifier of the channels to be shut down. Thereafter, the RF module executes channel shutdown based on the indication information.

[0139] When the first information indicates that the energy-saving mode is carrier shutdown, the RF module may perform carrier shutdown based on the first information in step S402. The carrier shutdown may be implemented as follows: for example, the RF module determines, through pre-configuration, to perform carrier shutdown on a certain cell and sets k (k is a positive integer) channels among the M channels corresponding to the cell. For another example, the first information also includes indication information, which is used to indicate the cell for which the carrier is to be shut down. For example, the indication information may include an index number or an identifier of the cell. Thereafter, the RF module performs carrier shutdown based on the indication information.

[0140] In one possible implementation, the energy-saving time information includes at least one of the following: a start time, an end time, or a duration. Specifically, when the first information indicates the energy-saving time information, the energy-saving time information indicated by the first information can be implemented using at least one of the above items to enhance the flexibility of energy-saving time configuration.

[0141] Optionally, the shutdown duration indicated by the energy-saving time information is positively correlated with the number of devices that the target energy-saving mode indicates are to be shut down. For example, if the energy-saving time information indicates a shorter shutdown duration, the target energy-saving mode may be set to indicate a smaller number of devices to be shut down, so that the device's operating state can be quickly restored after the subsequent shutdown duration. For another example, if the energy-saving time information indicates a longer shutdown duration, the target energy-saving mode may be set to indicate a larger number of devices to be shut down, so as to save as much energy as possible and achieve further optimization of energy conservation.

[0142] In one possible implementation, before step S402, the RF module may further send second information indicating support for the M energy-saving modes. Specifically, before the RF module operates a target energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes, the RF module may further send second information indicating that the RF module supports the M energy-saving modes, so that a recipient of the second information can use the second information as one of the bases for determining the first information.

[0143] Based on the technical solution shown in FIG4 , the RF module operates in step S402 a target energy-saving mode among M energy-saving modes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2. Specifically, in an RF module comprising N devices, when P of the N devices are turned off, the RF module can be made to operate in one of the M energy-saving modes, and the target energy-saving mode is one of the M energy-saving modes. Thus, compared to the method of achieving energy saving by turning off a fixed combination of devices, achieving a variety of different energy-saving modes of the RF module by dynamically turning off some or all of the devices in an RF module comprising N devices can enhance the flexibility of energy-saving implementation, thereby improving the energy-saving effect.

[0144] As an application example, the following illustrates Figure 4 and the related implementation process, using an RRU as the RF module and a BBU as the processing module. For example, Figure 4 and the related implementation process can be applied to the scenario shown in Figure 6a, where a BBU and RRU implement a two-level network. Alternatively, they can be applied to the scenario shown in Figure 6b, where a BBU, k RRUs (denoted as RRU_1...RRU_k, where k is a positive integer), and a remote radio unit hub (RHUB) implement a three-level network. The RHUB is used to aggregate multiple RRU signals.

[0145] In a possible implementation process, the RRU reports the grading capabilities of the candidate energy-saving features (such as channel shutdown, sub-frame shutdown, and carrier shutdown) supported by the RRU itself through the message interface between the BBU and the RRU (for example, corresponding to channel shutdown, its shutdown capability is divided into multiple gears, corresponding to different shutdown durations). When the energy-saving conditions are met, the BBU selects the energy-saving function of the corresponding gear and sends it to the RRU based on the energy-saving duration calculated according to the traffic forecast (such as based on the historical traffic prediction algorithm). If it is predicted that there will be no traffic in the next 5 seconds, the RU can be instructed through the interface to enter the sub-frame shutdown function of shutting down the device; if it is predicted that there will be no traffic in the next hour, the RU can be instructed through the interface to enter the carrier shutdown function of shutting down the device. Thereafter, the RRU implements the energy-saving function according to the energy-saving instruction sent by the BBU.

[0146] In another possible implementation, when energy-saving conditions are met, the BBU selects the corresponding energy-saving function and its effective duration (this duration can be a specific duration or multiple durations, such as 1 second for the first level, 1 minute for the second level, and 1 hour for the third level) based on the energy-saving duration calculated by traffic forecasts (e.g., based on a historical traffic prediction algorithm) and sends it to the RRU. The RRU then selects the appropriate device shutdown ratio based on the energy-saving function format and effective duration sent by the BBU and its own capabilities. For example, the first level can be symbol shutdown, the second level can be channel shutdown, and the third level can be carrier shutdown.

[0147] As can be seen from the above implementation process, by adding an energy-saving function activation interface between the BBU and RRU, a single energy-saving function can be divided into different levels, thereby improving the energy-saving benefits of the current energy-saving feature.

[0148] To implement the functions of the methods provided herein, the device executing the methods may include hardware structures and / or software modules, with the functions implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. Whether a particular function is implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0149] Referring to FIG. 7 , an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device 700 , which includes a processing unit 701 .

[0150] Optionally, the device further includes a transceiver unit 702 .

[0151] As an implementation example, the communication device 700 can implement the functions of the radio frequency module in the above-mentioned method embodiment, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned method embodiment. In this application, the communication device 700 can be a radio frequency module, or a software module, integrated circuit, or component within the radio frequency module, such as a chip, without limitation. The following description takes the communication device 700 as an example of a radio frequency module.

[0152] Specifically, the processing unit is used to run a target energy-saving mode among M energy-saving modes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; wherein the RF module includes N devices, and when P devices among the N devices are turned off, the RF module runs an energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and P is a positive integer.

[0153] In a possible implementation, the N devices include at least two of the following: a power amplifier, a digital-to-analog converter, an analog-to-digital converter, or a filter.

[0154] In one possible implementation, the device also includes a transceiver unit, which is used to receive first information, and the first information indicates the target energy-saving mode, energy-saving mode and at least one of the energy-saving time information; the processing unit is specifically used to run the target energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes based on the first information.

[0155] In a possible implementation, the energy saving mode includes at least one of the following: channel shutoff, subframe shutoff, carrier shutoff, deep sleep, or symbol shutoff.

[0156] In a possible implementation, the energy-saving time information includes at least one of the following: a start time, an end time, or a duration.

[0157] In a possible implementation, the first information comes from a processing module, wherein the radio frequency module and the processing module are located in the same network device.

[0158] In a possible implementation, the processing module is a baseband unit BBU.

[0159] In a possible implementation, the radio frequency module is any one of the following: a remote radio unit RRU, an active antenna unit AAU, or a remote relay node RRN.

[0160] In a possible implementation, the device further includes a transceiver unit configured to send second information, where the second information indicates support for the M energy-saving modes.

[0161] As another implementation example, the communication device 700 can implement the functions of the processing module in the above-mentioned method embodiment, thereby also achieving the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned method embodiment. In this application, the communication device 700 can be a processing module, or a software module, integrated circuit, or component within the processing module, such as a chip, without limitation. The following description uses the communication device 700 as an example of a processing module.

[0162] Specifically, the processing unit is used to determine first information, which indicates a target energy-saving mode among M energy-saving modes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; the transceiver unit is used to send the first information to the radio frequency module; wherein the radio frequency module includes N devices, and when P devices among the N devices are turned off, the radio frequency module runs one of the M energy-saving modes, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and P is a positive integer.

[0163] In a possible implementation, the N devices include at least two of the following: a power amplifier, a digital-to-analog converter, an analog-to-digital converter, or a filter.

[0164] In a possible implementation manner, the first information further indicates at least one of an energy-saving mode and energy-saving time information.

[0165] In a possible implementation, the energy saving mode includes at least one of the following: channel shutoff, subframe shutoff, carrier shutoff, deep sleep, or symbol shutoff.

[0166] In a possible implementation, the energy-saving time information includes at least one of the following: a start time, an end time, or a duration.

[0167] In a possible implementation, the radio frequency module and the processing module are located in the same network device.

[0168] In a possible implementation, the processing module is a baseband unit BBU.

[0169] In a possible implementation, the radio frequency module is any one of the following: a remote radio unit RRU, an active antenna unit AAU, or a remote relay node RRN.

[0170] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive second information, where the second information indicates support for the M energy-saving modes; wherein the first information is determined at least based on the second information.

[0171] In a possible implementation manner, the first information is determined based at least on historical traffic information.

[0172] It should be noted that, for details on the information execution process of the units of the above-mentioned communication device 700, please refer to the description in the method embodiment shown above in this application, and no further details will be given here.

[0173] Please refer to Fig. 8, which is another schematic structural diagram of a communication device 800 provided in this application. The communication device 800 at least includes a logic circuit 801. The communication device 800 may be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0174] Optionally, the communication device further includes an input and output interface 802 .

[0175] The transceiver unit 702 shown in FIG7 may be a communication interface, which may be the input / output interface 802 in FIG8 , which may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface may be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0176] Optionally, the logic circuit 801 can be used to run the target energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes. The logic circuit 801 and the input / output interface 802 can also perform other steps performed by the RF module in any of the above examples and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be repeated here.

[0177] Optionally, the logic circuit 801 may determine the first information; and the input / output interface 802 may send the first information to the radio frequency module. The logic circuit 801 and the input / output interface 802 may also perform other steps performed by the processing module in any of the aforementioned examples and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be further described here.

[0178] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 701 shown in FIG. 7 may be the logic circuit 801 in FIG. 8 .

[0179] Optionally, the logic circuit 801 may be a processing device, and the functions of the processing device may be partially or entirely implemented by software. The functions of the processing device may be partially or entirely implemented by software.

[0180] Optionally, the processing device may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform corresponding processing and / or steps in any one of the method embodiments.

[0181] Alternatively, the processing device may include only a processor. A memory for storing the computer program is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuits / wires to read and execute the computer program stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated or physically separate.

[0182] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system-on-chips (SoCs), central processor units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any combination of the above chips or processors.

[0183] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a structural diagram of the communication device 900 involved in the above example provided in this application. The communication device 900 can specifically be a communication device serving as a radio frequency module or a processing module in the above example, wherein the structure of the communication device can refer to the structure shown in Figure 9.

[0184] The communication device 900 includes at least one processor 911 and at least one network interface 914 .

[0185] Further optionally, the communication device also includes at least one memory 912, at least one transceiver 913 and one or more antennas 915. The processor 911, the memory 912, the transceiver 913 and the network interface 914 are connected, for example, via a bus. In the present application, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines or buses, etc., which are not limited in this embodiment. The antenna 915 is connected to the transceiver 913. The network interface 914 is used to enable the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 914 may include a network interface between the communication device and the core network device, such as an S1 interface, and the network interface may include a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (such as other network devices or core network devices), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0186] Processor 911 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data, for example, to support the communication device in performing the actions described in the embodiments. The communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit. The baseband processor is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit is primarily used to control the entire terminal device, execute software programs, and process software program data. Processor 911 in Figure 9 may integrate the functions of both a baseband processor and a central processing unit. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the baseband processor and the central processing unit may also be independent processors interconnected via a bus or other technology. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that network devices may include multiple baseband processors to accommodate different network standards, multiple central processing units to enhance their processing capabilities, and various components of network devices may be connected via various buses. The baseband processor may also be referred to as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The central processing unit may also be referred to as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The functionality for processing communication protocols and communication data may be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, which is executed by the processor to implement the baseband processing functionality.

[0187] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. Memory 912 can exist independently and be connected to processor 911. Alternatively, memory 912 and processor 911 can be integrated together, for example, within a single chip. Memory 912 can store program code for executing the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and execution is controlled by processor 911. The various computer program codes executed can also be considered drivers for processor 911.

[0188] Figure 9 shows only one memory and one processor. In an actual network device, multiple processors and multiple memories may exist. Memory may also be referred to as a storage medium or storage device. The memory may be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or an independent storage element, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0189] The transceiver 913 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency signals between the communication device and the terminal, and the transceiver 913 can be connected to the antenna 915. The transceiver 913 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 915 can receive radio frequency signals. The receiver Rx of the transceiver 913 is used to receive the radio frequency signal from the antenna, convert the radio frequency signal into a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency signal, and provide the digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal to the processor 911 so that the processor 911 can further process the digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in the transceiver 913 is also used to receive a modulated digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal from the processor 911, convert the modulated digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal into a radio frequency signal, and send the radio frequency signal through one or more antennas 915. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of down-mixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the RF signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency signal. The order of the down-mixing and analog-to-digital conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of up-mixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal to obtain a RF signal. The order of the up-mixing and digital-to-analog conversion processes is adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital intermediate frequency signal may be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0190] The transceiver 913 may also be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver device, etc. Optionally, a device in the transceiver unit that implements a receiving function may be referred to as a receiving unit, and a device in the transceiver unit that implements a transmitting function may be referred to as a transmitting unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit may also be referred to as a receiver, an input port, a receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit may be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit, etc.

[0191] It should be noted that the communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 can be specifically used to implement the steps implemented by the RF module or the processing module in the aforementioned method embodiment, and to achieve the technical effects corresponding to the RF module or the processing module. The specific implementation methods of the communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 can refer to the description in the aforementioned method embodiment, and will not be repeated here one by one.

[0192] The module division in this application is illustrative and represents only a logical functional division. Different division methods may be used in actual implementation. Furthermore, the functional modules in this application may be integrated into a single processor, exist physically as separate modules, or two or more modules may be integrated into a single module. These integrated modules may be implemented in either hardware or software functional modules.

[0193] The technical solutions provided in this application can be implemented in whole or in part through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, they 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 instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention are generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a terminal device, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium.

[0194] In this application, under the premise of no logical contradiction, the examples can reference each other, for example, the methods and / or terms between method examples can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device examples can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device examples and method examples can reference each other.

[0195] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An energy-saving method, characterized in that: include: The radio frequency module operates in a target energy-saving mode among M energy-saving modes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; The RF module includes N devices. When P of the N devices are turned off, the RF module runs one of the M energy-saving modes. N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and P is a positive integer.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The N devices include at least two of the following: Power amplifier, digital-to-analog converter, analog-to-digital converter, or, filter.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: The radio frequency module receives first information, where the first information indicates at least one of the target energy-saving mode, the energy-saving method, and the energy-saving time information; The target energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes in which the radio frequency module operates includes: The radio frequency module runs the target energy-saving mode among the M energy-saving modes based on the first information.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The energy-saving method includes at least one of the following: Channel off, subframe off, carrier off, deep sleep, or symbol off.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that The energy-saving time information includes at least one of the following: Start time, end time, or duration.

6. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that The first information comes from a processing module, wherein the radio frequency module and the processing module are located in the same network device.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The processing module is a baseband unit BBU.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The radio frequency module is any one of the following: Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Active Antenna Unit (AAU), or Remote Relay Node (RRN).

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: The radio frequency module sends second information, where the second information indicates that the M energy-saving modes are supported.

10. An energy-saving method, characterized in that: include: The processing module determines first information, where the first information indicates a target energy-saving mode among M energy-saving modes, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2; The processing module sends the first information to the radio frequency module; The RF module includes N devices. When P of the N devices are turned off, the RF module runs one of the M energy-saving modes. N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and P is a positive integer.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The N devices include at least two of the following: Power amplifier, digital-to-analog converter, analog-to-digital converter, or, filter.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that The first information further indicates at least one of an energy-saving mode and energy-saving time information.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The energy-saving method includes at least one of the following: Channel off, subframe off, carrier off, deep sleep, or symbol off.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that The energy-saving time information includes at least one of the following: Start time, end time, or duration.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that The radio frequency module and the processing module are located in the same network device.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The processing module is a baseband unit BBU.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that The radio frequency module is any one of the following: Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Active Antenna Unit (AAU), or Remote Relay Node (RRN).

18. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that The method further comprises: The processing module receives second information, where the second information indicates that the M energy-saving modes are supported; The first information is determined at least based on the second information.

19. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 18, characterized in that The first information is determined based at least on historical traffic information.

20. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processing unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises at least one processor and a memory, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to the memory; the processor is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19 is implemented.

23. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

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