A beamforming mode determination method, communication method and related device

Abstract

The present application discloses a beamforming mode determination method, a communication method and related devices, and relates to the field of wireless communication technology. Among them, the sending device respectively adopts multiple preset beamforming modes to perform beamforming on the same reference data, obtains multiple reference data packets, and sends multiple reference data packets to the receiving device. After the receiving device receives the reference data packet through the receiving antenna and determines the feedback information, it can send the feedback information to the sending device through the transmitting antenna, so that the sending device can smoothly determine the target beamforming mode. This method can be applied to the scenario where the receiving antenna of the wake-up radio device is not equipped with a transmitting radio, which is conducive to the sending device to use a suitable beamforming mode to send data to the receiving device, improve the signal gain of the receiving device when receiving data, improve the communication performance, and enable the receiving device to accurately receive the data transmitted by the sending device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a beamforming mode determination method, a communication method and related devices. Background Art

[0002] In a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication system, a communication device may be equipped with multiple antennas. The multiple antennas form an antenna array. Communication via the antenna array can greatly improve spectrum efficiency.

[0003] In a MIMO communication system, in order to maximize the signal gain at the receiving end, the transmitting end can use beamforming technology to beamform the transmitted signal using a suitable beamforming mode. How to determine the appropriate beamforming mode to improve communication performance is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a beamforming mode determination method, a communication method and related devices, which can improve communication performance and enable a receiving device to accurately receive data transmitted by a sending device.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a method for determining a beamforming mode, which is performed by a transmitting device. The method may include: the transmitting device respectively uses multiple preset beamforming modes to perform beamforming on the same reference data, obtains multiple reference data packets, and sends the multiple reference data packets to a receiving device. For any reference data packet among the multiple reference data packets, the transmitting device may send the reference data packet to the receiving device through an antenna array. The transmitting device receives feedback information from the receiving device, wherein the feedback information is generated by the receiving device for the received reference data packet, and the receiving device includes a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna. The feedback information is sent to the transmitting device through the transmitting antenna after the receiving device receives the reference data packet through the receiving antenna. The transmitting device may determine a target beamforming mode based on the feedback information, wherein the target beamforming mode is one of multiple beamforming modes, and the target beamforming mode is used by the transmitting device to beamform data sent to the receiving device.

[0006] The present application provides a method for determining a beamforming mode, in which a transmitting device respectively uses a plurality of preset beamforming modes to perform beamforming on the same reference data to obtain a plurality of reference data packets, and the transmitting device sends the plurality of reference data packets to a receiving device. After the receiving device receives the reference data packet through the receiving antenna and determines the feedback information, the feedback information can be sent to the transmitting device through the transmitting antenna, so that the transmitting device can smoothly determine the target beamforming mode. This method can be applied to scenarios where the receiving antenna of the wake-up radio device is not equipped with a transmitting radio, which is beneficial for the transmitting device to use a suitable beamforming mode to send data to the receiving device, improve the signal gain of the receiving device when receiving data, improve the communication performance, and enable the receiving device to accurately receive the data transmitted by the sending device.

[0007] In an optional implementation, the feedback information sent by the receiving device includes a recommended beamforming mode, where the recommended beamforming mode is selected by the receiving device from multiple beamforming modes, and the sending device may use the recommended beamforming mode as a target beamforming mode.

[0008] In the above implementation, the receiving device selects a recommended beamforming mode from multiple beamforming modes, and the sending device directly uses the received recommended beamforming mode as the target beamforming mode, which can save computing resources of the sending device.

[0009] In an optional implementation, the feedback information sent by the receiving device includes a signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode in a plurality of beamforming modes. The receiving device can determine the signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode in a plurality of beamforming modes based on the signal strength parameter measured for each received reference data packet. For example, the signal strength parameter measured for any reference data packet is the received signal strength indication RSSI measured by the receiving device during the reception of the reference data packet. The transmitting device can select a target beamforming mode from a plurality of beamforming modes based on the size of the signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode.

[0010] In the above implementation, the received signal strength indication RSSI can be measured when the receiving antenna receives the reference data packet. That is to say, when determining the feedback information, the receiving device can use the signal strength parameter that has been measured when performing other operations unrelated to the beamforming operation, and the receiving device does not need to calculate the signal strength parameter when performing operations related to the beamforming operation, which can reduce the execution complexity of the feedback information determination process, reduce the calculation amount of the receiving device, enable the receiving device to use more computing resources for decoding, and improve the decoding performance of the receiving device.

[0011] In an optional implementation, the feedback information sent by the receiving device includes confirmation information for any reference data packet generated by the receiving device after receiving any reference data packet among the multiple reference data packets. The sending device can determine the reception success rate corresponding to each beamforming mode among the multiple beamforming modes according to the confirmation information of the received reference data packet, and the sending device can select a target beamforming mode from the multiple beamforming modes according to the reception success rate corresponding to each beamforming mode.

[0012] In the above implementation, the feedback information sent by the receiving device may be confirmation information for the received reference data packet. The receiving device does not need to calculate the signal strength parameters when performing beamforming-related operations, which can reduce the execution complexity of the feedback information determination process and the calculation amount of the receiving device, so that the receiving device can use more computing resources for decoding, thereby improving the decoding performance of the receiving device.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present application provides a beamforming mode determination method, which is performed by a receiving device, the receiving device including a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna, and the method may include:

[0014] Receiving multiple reference data packets sent by a transmitting device through a receiving antenna; the multiple reference data packets are obtained by the transmitting device performing beamforming on the same reference data using multiple preset beamforming modes respectively; any reference data packet in the multiple reference data packets is sent by the transmitting device to the receiving device through the antenna array;

[0015] Feedback information is sent to the sending device through the transmitting antenna; the feedback information is generated by the receiving device for the received reference data packet; the feedback information is used by the sending device to determine the target beamforming mode; the target beamforming mode is one of multiple beamforming modes; the target beamforming mode is used by the sending device to beamform the data sent to the receiving device.

[0016] In an optional implementation, the feedback information includes a recommended beamforming mode; or, the feedback information includes a signal strength parameter corresponding to each of a plurality of beamforming modes; or, the feedback information includes confirmation information for any reference data packet generated by the receiving device after receiving any reference data packet among a plurality of reference data packets.

[0017] In an optional implementation, the feedback information includes a recommended beamforming mode; the recommended beamforming mode is determined in the following manner: based on a signal strength parameter measured for each reference data packet received, a signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode in a plurality of beamforming modes is determined; based on a size of the signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode, a recommended beamforming mode is selected from the plurality of beamforming modes.

[0018] In an optional implementation manner, the signal strength parameter measured for any reference data packet is a received signal strength indication RSSI measured by the receiving device during a reception process of any reference data packet.

[0019] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is performed by a sending device and may include:

[0020] The target beamforming mode is used to beamform the data to be transmitted, and a beamformed data packet is obtained;

[0021] Sending beamformed data packets to a receiving device via an antenna array;

[0022] The target beamforming mode is determined as follows:

[0023] Sending multiple reference data packets to a receiving device; the multiple reference data packets are obtained by the sending device performing beamforming on the same reference data using multiple preset beamforming modes respectively; any reference data packet in the multiple reference data packets is sent by the sending device to the receiving device through the antenna array;

[0024] receiving feedback information sent by a receiving device; the feedback information is generated by the receiving device for a received reference data packet; the receiving device includes a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna, and the feedback information is sent by the receiving device to the sending device through the transmitting antenna after the receiving device receives the reference data packet through the receiving antenna;

[0025] A target beamforming mode is determined according to the feedback information; the target beamforming mode is one of multiple beamforming modes.

[0026] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is performed by a receiving device, and the method may include:

[0027] receiving a beamformed data packet sent by a transmitting device; the beamformed data packet is obtained by the transmitting device performing beamforming on the data to be transmitted using a target beamforming mode;

[0028] According to the beam-formed data packet, the data to be sent is obtained;

[0029] The target beamforming mode is determined as follows:

[0030] Receiving multiple reference data packets sent by a transmitting device through a receiving antenna; the multiple reference data packets are obtained by the transmitting device performing beamforming on the same reference data using multiple preset beamforming modes respectively; any reference data packet in the multiple reference data packets is sent by the transmitting device to the receiving device through the antenna array;

[0031] Feedback information is sent to a sending device via a transmitting antenna; the feedback information is generated by a receiving device for a received reference data packet; the feedback information is used by the sending device to determine a target beamforming mode; the target beamforming mode is one of multiple beamforming modes.

[0032] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is performed by a sending device, and the method may include:

[0033] Using a plurality of preset beamforming modes to perform beamforming on the same data to be transmitted, respectively, to obtain a plurality of beamformed data packets;

[0034] Multiple beamformed data packets are sent to the receiving device through the antenna array.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the sending device uses different beamforming modes to perform normal communication to transmit continuous frames with the same data; that is, the sending device uses multiple preset beamforming modes to perform beamforming on the same data to be sent, and sends multiple beamformed data packets to the receiving device. The receiving device obtains the data to be sent based on the multiple beamformed data packets received. This method does not require the receiving device to participate in the determination of the beamforming mode, and does not require the receiving device to have the ability to transmit signals. The communication performance can be improved only through the beamforming process of the sending device, so that the receiving device can accurately receive the data transmitted by the sending device.

[0036] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is performed by a receiving device, and the method may include:

[0037] receiving a plurality of beam-formed data packets sent by a transmitting device; the plurality of beam-formed data packets are obtained by the transmitting device performing beamforming on the same data to be transmitted using a plurality of preset beamforming modes respectively;

[0038] The data to be sent are obtained according to the data packets after multiple beamforming.

[0039] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a sending device, including a module for executing any one of the methods provided in the first aspect, or a module for executing any one of the methods provided in the third aspect, or a module for executing any one of the methods provided in the fifth aspect.

[0040] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a receiving device, comprising a module for executing any one of the methods provided in the second aspect, or a module for executing any one of the methods provided in the fourth aspect, or a module for executing any one of the methods provided in the sixth aspect.

[0041] In the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a sending device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program that can be run on the processor, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor implements any one of the methods provided in the first aspect, the third aspect or the fifth aspect.

[0042] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a receiving device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program that can be run on the processor, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor implements any one of the methods provided in the second aspect, the fourth aspect or the sixth aspect.

[0043] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which may include a sending device and a receiving device, wherein the sending device includes the sending device provided in the ninth aspect; and the receiving device includes the receiving device provided in the tenth aspect.

[0044] In the twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, and the computer-executable instructions are used to enable a computer to execute any one of the methods provided in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth aspect above.

[0045] In the thirteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, comprising computer executable instructions, which are used to enable a computer to execute any one of the methods provided in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth aspect above.

[0046] The technical effects that can be achieved in any of the second to thirteenth aspects mentioned above can refer to the description of the beneficial effects in the first or fifth aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Figure 1 A network architecture diagram of a wireless communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 2 An interaction diagram between a transmitting device and a receiving device in a beamforming mode determination process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a process of beamforming reference data by a transmitting device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of another transmitting device providing a beamforming process for reference data in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a receiving device sending feedback information to a sending device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 6 An interaction diagram between a sending device and a receiving device during a communication process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 7 An interaction diagram between a sending device and a receiving device in another communication process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Figure 8 A structural block diagram of a sending device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Fig. 9 A structural block diagram of a receiving device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Fig.10 A structural block diagram of another sending device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Fig.11 A structural block diagram of another receiving device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a sending device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of the structure of a receiving device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The terms used in the implementation method section of the present application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0061] Before introducing the specific solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application, some terms in the present application are explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, and the terms in the present application are not limited.

[0062] (1) Beamforming technology: When a transmitting device transmits data through an antenna array composed of multiple antennas, it multiplies the data by a beamforming matrix before transmitting the data to the antenna array. The elements in the beamforming matrix can be called beamforming coefficients, which are used to characterize the amplitude and phase changes of the digital signal corresponding to the data. The above process can be called the beamforming process. The transmitting device sends the beamformed data to the receiving device through the antenna array to provide the receiving device with the maximum signal gain.

[0063] In the embodiments of the present application, "multiple" refers to two or more than two. In view of this, in the embodiments of the present application, "multiple" can also be understood as "at least two". "At least one" can be understood as one or more, for example, one, two or more. For example, including at least one means including one, two or more, and there is no restriction on which ones are included. For example, including at least one of A, B and C, then A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C may be included. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / ", unless otherwise specified, generally indicates that the previously associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0064] Unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, timing, priority or importance of the multiple objects.

[0065] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied in a wireless communication network. Figure 1 A network architecture diagram of a wireless communication system is shown, such as Figure 1 As shown, the wireless communication system may include a first communication device 100 and a second communication device 200. In other embodiments, the wireless communication system may include more communication devices, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0066] Among them, the communication modules of the first communication device 100 and the second communication device 200 may include an antenna array composed of multiple antennas. Each antenna includes a radio and a signal processing unit. For example, when the first communication device 100 sends data to the second communication device 200, the first communication device 100 acts as a transmitting device and may also be referred to as a transmitting entity (transmitent entity, TX entity). The first communication device 100 may include multiple antennas, for example, it may include n transmitting antennas TX1, TX2...TXn, and each transmitting antenna corresponds to a transmitting link (link). The second communication device 200 acts as a receiving device and may also be referred to as a receiving entity (received entity, RX entity). The second communication device 200 may include multiple antennas, for example, n receiving antennas RX1, RX2, ... RXn, each receiving antenna corresponding to a receiving link; it can also be understood that TX1 on the first communication device 100 and RX1 on the second communication device 200 form a communication link 1 (link1), TX2 on the first communication device 100 and RX2 on the second communication device 200 form a communication link 2 (link 2), and similarly, TXn on the first communication device 100 and RXn on the second communication device 200 form a communication link n (linkn). Each link or each antenna on the same device can operate at a different frequency. Each receiving antenna on the second communication device 200 can receive a digital signal sent by the first communication device 100 through the corresponding transmitting antenna and decode the digital signal. The signals decoded by the multiple receiving antennas on the second communication device 200 can be aggregated into one data, that is, the data sent by the first communication device 100 to the second communication device 200. In other embodiments, the second communication device 200 may also include a receiving antenna, receive the digital signal sent by the first communication device 100 through multiple transmitting antennas through the receiving antenna, and decode the digital signal to obtain the data sent by the first communication device 100 to the second communication device 200. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of receiving antennas of the second communication device 200.

[0067] The communication standards adopted for communication between the first communication device 100 and the second communication device 200 include, but are not limited to: global system of mobile communication (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division-synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), time division duplexing-long term evolution (TDD LTE), frequency division duplexing-long term evolution (FDD LTE), long term evolution-advanced (LTE-advanced), personal handy-phone system (PHS), wireless fidelity (WiFi) specified by the 802.11 series of protocols, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), and various wireless communication systems that will evolve in the future.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first communication device 100 may be a network device, and the second communication device 200 may be a terminal device. In other embodiments, the first communication device 100 may be a terminal device, and the second communication device 200 may be a network device. In other embodiments, the first communication device 100 and the second communication device 200 may both be network devices. In other embodiments, the first communication device 100 and the second communication device 200 may both be terminal devices.

[0069] Among them, the above-mentioned network equipment may include a base station, or a wireless resource management device for controlling a base station. The base station can be understood as a device deployed in a wireless access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. For example, the base station can be a base station (gNodeB or gNB) that meets the 5G standard. Among them, gNB can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), relay stations, access points, wearable devices, and vehicle-mounted devices. gNB can also be a transmission and reception point (TRP) and a transmission measurement function (TMF). gNB can include a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) integrated on the gNB. The base station can also be a home base station, such as: home nodeB (HNB), home evolved nodeB (HeNB), etc. The base station can also include a relay node (relay), etc.

[0070] The above-mentioned terminal device can be a wireless terminal, which can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, a handheld device with wireless connection function, or other processing equipment connected to a wireless modem. The wireless terminal can communicate with one or more core networks via a radio access network (RAN). The wireless terminal can be a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone (or "cellular" phone), a subscriber unit (subscriberunit), a cellular phone, a smart phone, a wireless data card, a personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, a tablet computer, a wireless modem (modem), a handheld device (handset), a laptop computer, a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, a user agent, a user device or a user equipment, etc.; it can also be a computer with a mobile terminal, for example, a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in or vehicle-mounted mobile device, which exchanges language and / or data with a radio access network.

[0071] For example, for LTE systems such as TDD LTE, FDD LTE or LTE-A, Figure 1 The above-mentioned network device in the wireless communication system shown may be an evolved node B (evolved node B, eNodeB), and the above-mentioned terminal device may be a UE; for a TD-SCDMA system or a WCDMA system, the above-mentioned network device may include: a node B (NodeB) and / or a radio network controller (radio network controller, RNC), and the above-mentioned terminal device may be a UE; for a GSM system, the above-mentioned network device may include a base transceiver station (base transceiver station, BTS) and / or a base station controller (base station controller, BSC), and the above-mentioned terminal device is a mobile station (mobile station, MS); for a WiFi system, the above-mentioned network device may include: an access point (access point, AP) and / or an access controller (access controller, AC), and the above-mentioned terminal device may be a station (station, STA).

[0072] In order to maximize the signal gain of the receiving device, the transmitting device can use beamforming technology to adopt a suitable beamforming mode to beamform the transmitted signal. Different beamforming modes correspond to different beamforming matrices, and the beamforming matrix includes multiple beamforming coefficients. Each beamforming coefficient corresponds to an antenna and is used to beamform the digital signal transmitted by the corresponding antenna, or to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal transmitted by the corresponding antenna; it can also be said that the values ​​of the beamforming coefficients contained in different beamforming modes are different, or the specific values ​​of the beamforming coefficients at the same position in the beamforming matrix corresponding to different beamforming modes are different.

[0073] In order to determine a suitable beamforming mode so that a receiving device has a maximum signal gain, an embodiment of the present application provides a beamforming mode determination method. Figure 2 A flowchart of interaction between a transmitting device and a receiving device in the process of determining a beamforming mode is shown.

[0074] like Figure 2 As shown, the process may include the following steps:

[0075] S201, a sending device sends multiple reference data packets to a receiving device.

[0076] The above-mentioned multiple reference data packets are obtained by the sending device using multiple preset beamforming modes to beamform the same reference data, and any reference data packet in the multiple reference data packets is sent by the sending device to the receiving device through the antenna array. The module in the sending device for beamforming the reference data using the beamforming mode can be called a beamformer.

[0077] Among them, the number of preset beamforming modes can be determined according to the number of transmitting antennas included in the transmitting device or the number of communication links between the transmitting device and the receiving device. For example, if the transmitting device includes 2 transmitting antennas, the number of preset beamforming modes can be 3; if the transmitting device includes 4 transmitting antennas, the number of preset beamforming modes can be 7; that is, the more transmitting antennas the transmitting device includes, the more preset beamforming modes. When the number of transmitting antennas included in the transmitting device is fixed, the more preset beamforming modes there are, the better the effect of the target beamforming mode finally selected. Therefore, the more preset beamforming modes there are, the better. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of preset beamforming modes.

[0078] Each reference data packet sent by the transmitting device to the receiving device may be referred to as a data frame. Each reference data packet may include the number of preset beamforming modes, for example, 3 or 7. Each reference data packet may also include an identifier of the beamforming mode corresponding to the reference data packet, and an identifier of a beamforming mode may be the number of the beamforming mode.

[0079] Exemplarily, it is assumed that the transmitting device includes n transmitting antennas, and n is an integer greater than 1. The preset beamforming modes include beamforming mode A, beamforming mode B, etc. Among them, beamforming mode A may include the following beamforming coefficients {Coef_A_1, Coef_A_2, ... Coef_A_n}, each beamforming coefficient corresponds to a transmitting antenna, for example, Coef_A_1 corresponds to transmitting antenna TX1, Coef_A_2 corresponds to transmitting antenna TX2, Coef_A_n corresponds to transmitting antenna TXn, etc. Beamforming mode B may include the following beamforming coefficients {Coef_B_1, Coef_B_2, ... Coef_B_n}, each beamforming coefficient corresponds to a transmitting antenna, for example, Coef_B_1 corresponds to transmitting antenna TX1, Coef_B_2 corresponds to transmitting antenna TX2, Coef_B_n corresponds to transmitting antenna TXn, etc.

[0080] like Figure 3As shown, the transmitting device obtains reference data, and uses beamforming mode A to beamform the reference data, that is, encodes the reference data to obtain n digital signals, which correspond to transmitting antennas TX1 to TXn respectively, and uses Coef_A_1 to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to transmitting antenna TX1, and then transmits the digital signal adjusted by Coef_A_1 through transmitting antenna TX1; uses Coef_A_2 to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to transmitting antenna TX2, and then transmits the digital signal adjusted by Coef_A_2 through transmitting antenna TX2; uses Coef_A_n to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to transmitting antenna TXn, and then transmits the digital signal adjusted by Coef_A_n through transmitting antenna TXn, etc. The above process can be understood as that the transmitting device uses beamforming mode A to beamform the reference data, and sends the reference data packet obtained after beamforming using beamforming mode A to the receiving device through an antenna array composed of multiple transmitting antennas.

[0081] Similarly, if Figure 4 As shown, the transmitting device uses beamforming mode B to beamform the reference data, that is, after encoding the reference data to obtain n digital signals corresponding to the transmitting antennas TX1 to TXn, Coef_B_1 is used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to the transmitting antenna TX1, and then the digital signal adjusted by Coef_B_1 is sent through the transmitting antenna TX1; Coef_B_2 is used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to the transmitting antenna TX2, and then the digital signal adjusted by Coef_B_2 is sent through the transmitting antenna TX2; Coef_B_n is used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to the transmitting antenna TXn, and then the digital signal adjusted by Coef_B_n is sent through the transmitting antenna TXn, etc. The above process can be understood as that the transmitting device uses beamforming mode B to beamform the reference data, and sends the reference data packet obtained after beamforming using beamforming mode B to the receiving device through an antenna array composed of multiple transmitting antennas.

[0082] By analogy, the transmitting device can send reference data packets obtained by beamforming using multiple different beamforming modes to the receiving device through an antenna array composed of multiple transmitting antennas. The transmitting device can send reference data packets obtained by beamforming using multiple different beamforming modes through continuous frames or continuous data frames.

[0083] In some embodiments, the transmitting device may send a reference data packet obtained after beamforming using the same beamforming mode to the receiving device multiple times. For example, the transmitting device may send a reference data packet obtained after beamforming using beamforming mode A to the receiving device multiple times, and the transmitting device may send a reference data packet obtained after beamforming using beamforming mode B to the receiving device multiple times, etc.

[0084] Each reference data packet sent by the transmitting device to the receiving device may include the number of the beamforming mode corresponding to the reference data packet. For example, each reference data packet sent by the transmitting device to the receiving device using beamforming mode A for beamforming may include the number of beamforming mode A, and each reference data packet sent by the transmitting device to the receiving device using beamforming mode B for beamforming may include the number of beamforming mode B.

[0085] The receiving device may include a transmitting antenna (TX antenna) and a receiving antenna (RX antenna). The receiving antenna may be one or more. The module formed by the receiving antenna and the beam analysis unit may be called a beam receiving module. The beam receiving module participates in the determination of the beamforming mode and may also be called a beamformee. The receiving device may receive multiple reference data packets sent by the transmitting device through the receiving antenna, and the beam analysis unit performs signal analysis and processing on the received multiple reference data packets. In some embodiments, the receiving antenna in the beam receiving module may not have the function of transmitting signals. For example, in a wake-up radio system, the receiving antenna of the wake-up radio device (or the RX link corresponding to the receiving antenna) is usually not equipped with a transmitting radio and does not have the function of transmitting signals.

[0086] S202: The receiving device sends feedback information to the sending device.

[0087] S203: The sending device determines a target beamforming mode according to the feedback information.

[0088] The target beamforming mode is one of multiple beamforming modes, and the target beamforming mode is used for a sending device to beamform data when sending data to a receiving device.

[0089] In some embodiments, the feedback information sent by the receiving device may include a recommended beamforming mode. The recommended beamforming mode is selected by the receiving device from a plurality of beamforming modes. Each time the receiving device receives a reference data packet sent by the transmitting device, it may measure a signal strength parameter for the reference data packet. The receiving device determines the signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode in the plurality of beamforming modes, respectively, based on the signal strength parameter measured for each reference data packet in the plurality of reference data packets. In an optional embodiment, the signal strength parameter measured for each reference data packet may be a received signal strength indication (RSSI), which is measured by the receiving antenna during the data reception process before the beamforming operation is performed. In another optional embodiment, the signal strength parameter may also be other parameters that have been measured when performing other operations unrelated to the beamforming operation.

[0090] Exemplarily, in one embodiment, when a receiving device receives a reference data packet, it can measure a signal strength parameter for the reference data packet, and obtain the beamforming mode corresponding to the reference data packet from the reference data packet, and use the signal strength parameter measured for the reference data packet as the signal strength parameter corresponding to the beamforming mode. For example, when a receiving device receives a reference data packet, it can obtain the signal strength parameter value measured by each receiving antenna when receiving the reference data packet, and use the average value of the signal strength parameter value measured by each receiving antenna as the signal strength parameter measured for the reference data packet. According to the number of the beamforming mode carried by the reference data packet, it can be determined that the beamforming mode corresponding to the reference data packet is beamforming mode A, and the signal strength parameter measured for the reference data packet can be used as the signal strength parameter corresponding to beamforming mode A.

[0091] In another embodiment, if the transmitting device sends reference data packets obtained after beamforming using the same beamforming mode to the receiving device for multiple times. When the receiving device receives k reference data packets sent using the same beamforming mode, for the k reference data packets carrying the same beamforming mode number, the signal strength parameters can be measured for the k reference data packets respectively, and the beamforming mode corresponding to the k reference data packets can be determined, and the average value of the signal strength parameters measured for the k reference data packets can be used as the signal strength parameter corresponding to the beamforming mode. For example, when the receiving device receives multiple reference data packets, the number of the beamforming mode carried in the k reference data packets is the number of beamforming mode A, indicating that the beamforming mode corresponding to the k reference data packets is beamforming mode A. The receiving device can measure the signal strength parameters for the k reference data packets respectively, wherein the signal strength parameter corresponding to each reference data packet can be determined based on the average value of the signal strength parameter values ​​measured by each receiving antenna when receiving the reference data packet. The receiving device may use the average value of the signal strength parameters measured for the k reference data packets as the signal strength parameter corresponding to the beamforming mode A.

[0092] After determining the signal strength parameters corresponding to each beamforming mode, the receiving device can select a recommended beamforming mode from multiple beamforming modes according to the signal strength parameters corresponding to each beamforming mode. Exemplarily, in one embodiment, the receiving device can sort multiple beamforming modes in order from large to small according to the signal strength parameters corresponding to each beamforming mode, and select the target beamforming mode from the first N beamforming modes in the sorting. Wherein N is a positive integer. In another embodiment, the receiving device can use the beamforming mode corresponding to the maximum value of the signal strength parameters corresponding to the multiple beamforming modes as the recommended beamforming mode. The above process of selecting the recommended beamforming mode can be performed by the beam analysis unit in the beam receiving module. The beam analysis unit can also be used to decode reference data packets received through multiple receiving antennas.

[0093] After determining the recommended beamforming mode, the receiving device may send the recommended beamforming mode as feedback information to the sending device, or in other words, carry the number of the recommended beamforming mode in the feedback information and send it to the sending device. Figure 5 As shown, since the receiving antenna in the beam receiving module does not have the ability to transmit signals, the beam receiving module can transmit feedback information to the transmitting antenna of the receiving device, and send the feedback information to the transmitting device through the transmitting antenna or the TX link corresponding to the transmitting antenna. Among them, the transmitting antenna can be understood as an antenna in the antenna of the receiving device that has the ability to transmit signals. Whether the transmitting antenna has a receiving function is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0094] The feedback information sent by the receiving device to the sending device may include part or all of the following: the recommended beamforming mode selected by the receiving device, the status of each beamforming mode in multiple beamforming modes (for example, whether the corresponding reference data packet is decoded successfully), and the signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode in multiple beamforming modes.

[0095] The sending device receives the recommended beamforming mode sent by the receiving device and may use the recommended beamforming mode as the target beamforming mode. When sending data to the receiving device, the target beamforming mode is used to beamform the data.

[0096] In other embodiments, the feedback information sent by the receiving device may include a signal strength parameter corresponding to each of the multiple beamforming modes, for example, a signal strength parameter metricA corresponding to beamforming mode A, a signal strength parameter metricB corresponding to beamforming mode B, and the like. Each time the receiving device receives a reference data packet sent by the transmitting device, it may measure the signal strength parameter for the reference data packet. The receiving device determines the signal strength parameter corresponding to each of the multiple beamforming modes based on the signal strength parameter measured for each of the multiple reference data packets. In an optional embodiment, the signal strength parameter measured for each reference data packet may be a received signal strength indication RSSI, which has been measured by the receiving antenna during the data reception process before the beamforming operation is performed. In another optional embodiment, the signal strength parameter may also be other parameters that have been measured when performing other operations unrelated to the beamforming operation.

[0097] Exemplarily, in one embodiment, when a receiving device receives a reference data packet, it can measure a signal strength parameter for the reference data packet, and obtain the beamforming mode corresponding to the reference data packet from the reference data packet, and use the signal strength parameter measured for the reference data packet as the signal strength parameter corresponding to the beamforming mode. For example, when a receiving device receives a reference data packet, it can obtain the signal strength parameter value measured by each receiving antenna when receiving the reference data packet, and use the average value of the signal strength parameter value measured by each receiving antenna as the signal strength parameter measured for the reference data packet. According to the number of the beamforming mode carried by the reference data packet, it can be determined that the beamforming mode corresponding to the reference data packet is beamforming mode B, and the signal strength parameter measured for the reference data packet can be used as the signal strength parameter corresponding to beamforming mode B.

[0098] In another embodiment, if the transmitting device sends reference data packets obtained after beamforming using the same beamforming mode to the receiving device for multiple times. When the receiving device receives m reference data packets sent using the same beamforming mode, for the m reference data packets carrying the same beamforming mode number, the signal strength parameters can be measured for the m reference data packets respectively, and the beamforming mode corresponding to the m reference data packets can be determined, and the average value of the signal strength parameters measured for the m reference data packets can be used as the signal strength parameter corresponding to the beamforming mode. For example, when the receiving device receives multiple reference data packets, the number of the beamforming mode carried in the m reference data packets is the number of beamforming mode B, indicating that the beamforming mode corresponding to the m reference data packets is beamforming mode B. The receiving device can measure the signal strength parameters for the m reference data packets respectively, wherein the signal strength parameter corresponding to each reference data packet can be determined based on the average value of the signal strength parameter values ​​measured by each receiving antenna when receiving the reference data packet. The receiving device may use the average value of the signal strength parameters measured for the m reference data packets as the signal strength parameter corresponding to the beamforming mode B.

[0099] The receiving device generates feedback information according to the signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode and sends it to the transmitting device.

[0100] Exemplarily, since the receiving antenna in the beam receiving module does not have the ability to transmit signals, the beam receiving module can transmit the feedback information to the transmitting antenna of the receiving device, and send the feedback information to the transmitting device through the transmitting antenna or the TX link corresponding to the transmitting antenna.

[0101] The feedback information sent by the receiving device to the sending device may include part or all of the following contents: the state of each beamforming mode in the multiple beamforming modes, and the signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode in the multiple beamforming modes.

[0102] The transmitting device receives the signal strength parameter corresponding to each reference data packet sent by the receiving device, and can select a target beamforming mode from multiple beamforming modes according to the size of the signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode. For example, in some embodiments, the transmitting device can sort multiple beamforming modes in order from large to small according to the signal strength parameters corresponding to each beamforming mode, and select the target beamforming mode from the first N beamforming modes in the sorting. Wherein N is a positive integer. In other embodiments, the transmitting device can use the beamforming mode corresponding to the maximum value of the signal strength parameters corresponding to the multiple beamforming modes as the target beamforming mode.

[0103] In other embodiments, the feedback information sent by the receiving device may include confirmation information for the reference data packet sent by the receiving device after receiving any reference data packet in multiple reference data packets. Exemplarily, after the receiving device receives any reference data packet through the receiving antenna in the beam receiving module, the reference data packet can be parsed by the beam analysis unit in the beam receiving module. If the parsing is successful, a confirmation (ACK) information for the reference data packet can be sent to the sending device, indicating that the reference data packet is successfully received. The successfully received reference data packet can be considered to have a better or stronger signal quality. On the contrary, the unsuccessfully received reference data packet can be considered to have a poor or weaker signal quality. Since the receiving antenna in the beam receiving module does not have the ability to transmit signals, the beam receiving module can transmit the confirmation information of the reference data packet to the transmitting antenna of the receiving device, and send the confirmation information of the reference data packet to the sending device through the transmitting antenna or the TX link corresponding to the transmitting antenna. The confirmation information of the reference data packet includes the identifier of the reference data packet and the number of the beamforming mode carried in the reference data packet.

[0104] It is understandable that if the receiving device does not receive a reference data packet, the receiving device will not send confirmation information of the reference data packet to the sending device.

[0105] The transmitting device can determine the reception success rate corresponding to each beamforming mode in multiple beamforming modes according to the confirmation information of the received reference data packet, and select the target beamforming mode from the multiple beamforming modes according to the reception success rate corresponding to each beamforming mode. Exemplarily, the transmitting device can send the reference data packet obtained after beamforming using the same beamforming mode to the receiving device multiple times. For each reference data packet sent, the transmitting device can wait for confirmation information from the receiving device, and the confirmation information can also be called a confirmation data packet. If confirmation information of a reference data packet is received within a set time length after sending a reference data packet, it is determined that the reference data packet is successfully received. For any beamforming mode, the transmitting device can determine the number of successfully received reference data packets in the reference data packet corresponding to the beamforming mode according to the confirmation information of the received reference data packet, and the reception success rate corresponding to the beamforming mode can be determined according to the number of successfully received reference data packets and the number of reference data packets corresponding to the beamforming mode sent by the transmitting device. In one embodiment, the transmitting device may sort the multiple beamforming modes in descending order according to the reception success rate corresponding to each beamforming mode, and select the target beamforming mode from the first M beamforming modes in the sorting, where M is a positive integer. In another embodiment, the transmitting device may use the beamforming mode with the largest corresponding reception success rate among the multiple beamforming modes as the target beamforming mode.

[0106] After determining the target beamforming mode, the transmitting device can use the target beamforming mode to communicate with the receiving device. Figure 6 As shown, the communication process may include the following steps:

[0107] S601: A sending device performs beamforming on data to be sent using a target beamforming mode to obtain a beamformed data packet.

[0108] S602: The sending device sends a beamformed data packet to the receiving device.

[0109] S603: The receiving device obtains the data to be sent according to the beamformed data packet.

[0110] The transmitting device may send a beamformed data packet to the receiving device through an antenna array. For example, assuming that the target beamforming mode is beamforming mode B, the transmitting device may use beamforming mode B to beamform the data to be transmitted. The process may include: after the transmitting device encodes the data to be transmitted and obtains n digital signals corresponding to the transmitting antennas TX1 to TXn, Coef_B_1 is used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to the transmitting antenna TX1, and then the digital signal adjusted by Coef_B_1 is sent through the transmitting antenna TX1; Coef_B_2 is used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to the transmitting antenna TX2, and then the digital signal adjusted by Coef_B_2 is sent through the transmitting antenna TX2; Coef_B_n is used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to the transmitting antenna TXn, and then the digital signal adjusted by Coef_B_n is sent through the transmitting antenna TXn, etc. The above process can be understood as that the transmitting device uses the beamforming mode B to perform beamforming on the data to be transmitted, and sends the data packet obtained by beamforming the data to be transmitted using the beamforming mode B to the receiving device through the antenna array. Through the above beamforming process, the receiving device can receive the beamformed data packet with the maximum signal gain and decode the beamformed data packet, which is conducive to the receiving device to receive the data to be transmitted more accurately and improve the reception success rate and decoding success rate.

[0111] The transmitting device can communicate with the receiving device in the target beamforming mode until the transmitting device detects that the signal quality sent to the receiving device has weakened, or the transmitting device detects that the number of transmission failures when sending data packets to the receiving device reaches a threshold. Figure 2 The process shown re-determines the target beamforming pattern.

[0112] In the above embodiment, the transmitting device respectively uses a plurality of preset beamforming modes to perform beamforming on the same reference data, obtains a plurality of reference data packets, and the transmitting device sends the plurality of reference data packets to the receiving device. After the beam receiving module in the receiving device receives a plurality of reference data packets through the receiving antenna and determines the feedback information, it can transmit the feedback information to the transmitting antenna of the receiving device, and send the feedback information to the transmitting device through the transmitting antenna, so that the transmitting device can smoothly determine the target beamforming mode. This method can be applied to the scenario where the receiving antenna of the wake-up radio device is not equipped with a transmitting radio. In addition, when determining the feedback information, the receiving device can use the signal strength parameters that have been measured when performing other operations unrelated to the beamforming operation, which can reduce the execution complexity of the feedback information determination process, reduce the calculation amount of the receiving device, and enable the receiving device to use more computing resources for decoding, thereby improving the decoding performance of the receiving device.

[0113] For scenarios where the beam receiving module of the receiving device does not have the ability to transmit signals, Figure 7 FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of interaction between a sending device and a receiving device in another communication method. Figure 7 As shown, the communication method may include the following steps:

[0114] S701: A sending device uses a plurality of preset beamforming modes to perform beamforming on the same data to be sent, to obtain a plurality of beamformed data packets.

[0115] S702: The sending device sends a plurality of beamformed data packets to the receiving device.

[0116] The transmitting device may send a plurality of beamformed data packets to the receiving device through an antenna array. The transmitting device may send a reference data packet obtained after beamforming using a plurality of different beamforming modes through continuous frames or continuous data frames. For example, it is assumed that the preset beamforming modes include beamforming mode A, beamforming mode B, etc. Among them, beamforming mode A may include the following beamforming coefficients {Coef_A_1, Coef_A_2, ... Coef_A_n}, each beamforming coefficient corresponds to a transmitting antenna, for example, Coef_A_1 corresponds to transmitting antenna TX1, Coef_A_2 corresponds to transmitting antenna TX2, Coef_A_n corresponds to transmitting antenna TXn, etc. The beamforming mode B may include the following beamforming coefficients {Coef_B_1, Coef_B_2, ... Coef_B_n}, each beamforming coefficient corresponding to a transmitting antenna, for example, Coef_B_1 corresponds to the transmitting antenna TX1, Coef_B_2 corresponds to the transmitting antenna TX2, Coef_B_n corresponds to the transmitting antenna TXn, and so on.

[0117] For the data to be sent, the sending device can use multiple beamforming modes such as beamforming mode A and beamforming mode B to beamform the data to be sent, and send multiple beamformed data packets to the receiving device through the antenna array. Each beamformed data packet may contain part or all of the following: the number of preset beamforming modes; the number of the beamforming mode corresponding to the data packet; and the data to be sent.

[0118] For example, the transmitting device uses beamforming mode A to perform beamforming on the data to be transmitted. The process may include: encoding the data to be transmitted to obtain n digital signals, which correspond to the transmitting antennas TX1 to TXn respectively, using Coef_A_1 to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to the transmitting antenna TX1, and then sending the digital signal adjusted by Coef_A_1 through the transmitting antenna TX1; using Coef_A_2 to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to the transmitting antenna TX2, and then sending the digital signal adjusted by Coef_A_2 through the transmitting antenna TX2; using Coef_A_n to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to the transmitting antenna TXn, and then sending the digital signal adjusted by Coef_A_n through the transmitting antenna TXn, etc. The above process can be understood as that the transmitting device uses beamforming mode A to perform beamforming on the data to be transmitted, and sends the data packet obtained by beamforming the data to be transmitted using beamforming mode A to the receiving device through the antenna array.

[0119] Similarly, the transmitting device uses beamforming mode B to perform beamforming on the data to be transmitted, and the process may include: after the transmitting device encodes the data to be transmitted and obtains n digital signals corresponding to the transmitting antennas TX1 to TXn, Coef_B_1 is used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to the transmitting antenna TX1, and then the digital signal adjusted by Coef_B_1 is sent through the transmitting antenna TX1; Coef_B_2 is used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to the transmitting antenna TX2, and then the digital signal adjusted by Coef_B_2 is sent through the transmitting antenna TX2; Coef_B_n is used to adjust the amplitude and phase of the digital signal corresponding to the transmitting antenna TXn, and then the digital signal adjusted by Coef_B_n is sent through the transmitting antenna TXn, etc. The above process can be understood as that the transmitting device uses beamforming mode B to perform beamforming on the data to be transmitted, and sends the data packet obtained by beamforming the data to be transmitted using beamforming mode B to the receiving device through the antenna array. By analogy, the transmitting device sends multiple data packets after beamforming the data to be transmitted to the receiving device through the antenna array. For example, assuming that the preset beamforming modes are 7, the transmitting device sends 7 data packets after beamforming the data to be transmitted to the receiving device through the antenna array, and the 7 data packets are obtained by the transmitting device using different beamforming modes to beamform the data to be transmitted.

[0120] S703: The receiving device obtains data to be sent according to the multiple beam-formed data packets.

[0121] The receiving device receives multiple beamformed data packets sent by the transmitting device, and can obtain the data to be sent based on the multiple beamformed data packets. Exemplarily, the receiving device receives any beamformed data packet and can parse the data packet. If the parsing is successful, the data to be sent can be obtained. In some embodiments, the transmitting device uses multiple beamforming modes to beamform the same data to be sent, and the multiple data packets obtained carry the same data identifier. If the receiving device receives multiple beamformed data packets and the multiple data packets are parsed successfully, the parsed data can be deduplicated based on the data identifiers carried by the multiple data packets to obtain the data to be sent.

[0122] In the above embodiment, the sending device uses different beamforming modes to perform normal communication to transmit continuous frames with the same data; that is, the sending device uses multiple preset beamforming modes to perform beamforming on the same data to be sent, and sends multiple beamformed data packets to the receiving device. The receiving device obtains the data to be sent based on the multiple beamformed data packets received. This method does not require the receiving device to participate in the determination of the beamforming mode, and does not require the receiving device to have the ability to transmit signals. The communication performance can be improved only through the beamforming process of the sending device, so that the receiving device can accurately receive the data transmitted by the sending device.

[0123] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to any digital communication system, can be used for mobile channels and static channels, and is particularly suitable for systems with low complexity or no transmission capability at the receiving end. Among them, the mobile channel can also be called a time-varying channel, which refers to a channel that changes frequently with the frequent movement of the device. A static channel means that the device does not move, so the channel does not change. For a mobile channel, the above-mentioned target beamforming mode needs to be changed frequently.

[0124] Based on the same technical concept as the above embodiments, a transmitting device is also provided in the embodiments of the present application. The transmitting device can be used to implement the functions of any beamforming mode determination method provided in the above embodiments, thereby achieving the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0125] like Figure 8 As shown, the transmitting device 800 may include a beam transmitting module 801, a feedback information receiving module 802 and a mode determining module 803. The transmitting device 800 may be used to implement the function of the beamforming mode determining method executed by the transmitting device in the above embodiment, and thus may achieve the beneficial effects of the above beamforming mode determining method embodiment.

[0126] The beam sending module 801 can be used to send multiple reference data packets to a receiving device; the multiple reference data packets are obtained by the sending device using multiple preset beamforming modes to beamform the same reference data; any reference data packet in the multiple reference data packets is sent by the sending device to the receiving device through an antenna array. The feedback information receiving module 802 can be used to receive feedback information sent by the receiving device; the feedback information is generated by the receiving device for the received reference data packet; the receiving device includes a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna, and the feedback information is sent to the sending device through the transmitting antenna after the receiving device receives the reference data packet through the receiving antenna. The mode determination module 803 can be used to determine the target beamforming mode according to the feedback information; the target beamforming mode is one of the multiple beamforming modes; the target beamforming mode is used for the sending device to beamform the data when sending data to the receiving device.

[0127] In some implementations, the feedback information may include a recommended beamforming mode. The mode determination module 803 may be specifically configured to use the recommended beamforming mode as a target beamforming mode.

[0128] In some implementations, the feedback information may include a signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode in the plurality of beamforming modes.

[0129] In some implementations, the mode determination module 803 may be specifically configured to: select a target beamforming mode from multiple beamforming modes according to the magnitude of a signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode.

[0130] In some implementations, the feedback information may include confirmation information for any reference data packet sent by the receiving device after receiving any reference data packet among the multiple reference data packets.

[0131] In some embodiments, the mode determination module 803 can be specifically used to: determine the reception success rate corresponding to each beamforming mode in multiple beamforming modes according to the confirmation information of the received reference data packet; and select a target beamforming mode from the multiple beamforming modes according to the reception success rate corresponding to each beamforming mode.

[0132] Based on the same technical concept as the above embodiments, a receiving device is also provided in the embodiments of the present application. The receiving device can be used to implement the functions of any beamforming mode determination method provided in the above embodiments, thereby achieving the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0133] like Fig. 9 As shown, the receiving device 900 may include a beam receiving module 901 and a feedback information sending module 902. The receiving device 900 may be used to implement the function of the beamforming mode determination method executed by the receiving device in the above embodiment, thereby achieving the beneficial effects of the above beamforming mode determination method embodiment.

[0134] A beam receiving module 901 can be used to receive multiple reference data packets sent by a sending device through a receiving antenna; the multiple reference data packets are obtained by the sending device using multiple preset beamforming modes to beamform the same reference data; any reference data packet among the multiple reference data packets is sent by the sending device to the receiving device through an antenna array; a feedback information sending module 902 can be used to send feedback information to the sending device through a transmitting antenna; the feedback information is generated by the receiving device for the received reference data packet; the feedback information is used by the sending device to determine a target beamforming mode; the target beamforming mode is one of multiple beamforming modes; the target beamforming mode is used by the sending device to beamform data when sending data to the receiving device.

[0135] In some embodiments, the feedback information may include a recommended beamforming mode; or, the feedback information includes a signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode in multiple beamforming modes; or, the feedback information includes confirmation information for any reference data packet sent by the receiving device after receiving any reference data packet in multiple reference data packets.

[0136] In some embodiments, the feedback information includes a recommended beamforming mode; the recommended beamforming mode is determined by: determining the signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode in the multiple beamforming modes according to the signal strength parameter measured for each reference data packet in the multiple reference data packets; and selecting the recommended beamforming mode from the multiple beamforming modes according to the size of the signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode.

[0137] In some implementations, the signal strength parameter measured for each reference data packet is a received signal strength indicator RSSI measured by the receiving device during the reception process of each reference data packet.

[0138] Based on the same technical concept as the above embodiments, a sending device is also provided in the embodiments of the present application. The sending device can be used to implement the functions of any communication method provided in the above embodiments, and thus can achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0139] like Fig.10 As shown, the transmitting device 1000 may include a beamforming module 1001 and a data transmitting module 1002. The transmitting device 1000 may be used to implement the functions of the communication method executed by the transmitting device in the above embodiment, and thus may achieve the beneficial effects of the above communication method embodiment.

[0140] In some embodiments, the beamforming module 1001 can be used to beamform the data to be transmitted using a target beamforming mode to obtain a beamformed data packet. The data sending module 1002 can be used to send the beamformed data packet to a receiving device via an antenna array.

[0141] In other embodiments, the beamforming module 1001 can be used to respectively use a plurality of preset beamforming modes to perform beamforming on the same data to be transmitted, so as to obtain a plurality of beamformed data packets. The data sending module 1002 can be used to respectively send a plurality of beamformed data packets to a receiving device through an antenna array.

[0142] Based on the same technical concept as the above embodiments, a receiving device is also provided in the embodiments of the present application. The receiving device can be used to implement the functions of any communication method provided in the above embodiments, and thus can achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0143] like Fig.11 As shown, the receiving device 1100 may include a data receiving module 1101 and a data decoding module 1102. The receiving device 1100 may be used to implement the functions of the communication method executed by the receiving device in the above embodiment, and thus may achieve the beneficial effects of the above communication method embodiment.

[0144] In some embodiments, the data receiving module 1101 can be used to receive a beamformed data packet sent by a transmitting device; the beamformed data packet is obtained by the transmitting device using a target beamforming mode to beamform the data to be transmitted. The data decoding module 1102 can be used to obtain the data to be transmitted according to the beamformed data packet.

[0145] In other embodiments, the data receiving module 1101 may be used to receive multiple beamformed data packets sent by a transmitting device; the multiple beamformed data packets are obtained by the transmitting device performing beamforming on the same data to be transmitted using multiple preset beamforming modes. The data decoding module 1102 may be used to obtain the data to be transmitted according to the multiple beamformed data packets.

[0146] Based on the same technical concept as the above embodiment, the present application also provides a sending device, which can be applied to Figure 1 The first communication device shown in . The sending device can be used to implement the functions of the method executed by the sending device in the above embodiment, so the beneficial effects of the above method embodiment can be achieved.

[0147] In some embodiments, the structure of the sending device 1200 can be as follows: Fig.12As shown, it includes a processor 1201 and a memory 1202 connected to the processor 1201. The processor 1201 and the memory 1202 can be interconnected via a bus, and the processor 1201 can serve as the main processor of the sending device 1200, that is, the control core of the sending device 1200. The bus can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. The specific connection medium between the above-mentioned processor 1201 and the memory 1202 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0148] The memory 1202 may include the above-mentioned memory, and the memory 1202 may be a volatile memory, such as a random access memory; the memory may also be a non-volatile memory, such as a read-only memory ROM, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or the memory 1202 is any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory 1202 may be a combination of the above-mentioned memories. The memory 1202 may be used to store software programs and modules.

[0149] The processor 1201 may include one or more processors. The processor 1201 executes various functional applications and data processing of the transmitting device 1200 by running software programs and modules stored in the memory 1202, such as the beamforming mode determination method or communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0150] In an optional embodiment, the processor 1201 can use the target beamforming mode to beamform the data to be transmitted by running the software program and module stored in the memory 1202, obtain the beamformed data packet, and send the beamformed data packet to the receiving device through the antenna array. Wherein, the target beamforming mode can be determined in the following manner: the sending device sends multiple reference data packets to the receiving device; the multiple reference data packets are obtained by the sending device using multiple preset beamforming modes to beamform the same reference data; any reference data packet in the multiple reference data packets is sent by the sending device to the receiving device through the antenna array; the sending device receives feedback information sent by the receiving device; the feedback information is generated by the receiving device for the received reference data packet; the receiving device includes a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna, and the feedback information is sent to the sending device through the transmitting antenna after the receiving device receives the reference data packet through the receiving antenna; the sending device determines the target beamforming mode according to the feedback information; the target beamforming mode is one of the multiple beamforming modes; the target beamforming mode is used for the sending device to beamform the data when sending data to the receiving device.

[0151] In another optional embodiment, the processor 1201 can use multiple preset beamforming modes to perform beamforming on the same data to be transmitted by running the software program and modules stored in the memory 1202, obtain multiple beamformed data packets, and send the multiple beamformed data packets to the receiving device through the antenna array.

[0152] In some embodiments, the sending device 1200 may further include a communication module, such as Figure 1 The transmitting antenna, antenna array, etc. shown in the communication module can be used to communicate with other network elements in the network.

[0153] It is to be understood that the structure illustrated in the embodiment of the present application does not constitute a specific limitation on the sending device. In other embodiments of the present application, the sending device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or split certain components, or arrange the components differently. The components shown in the figure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0154] Based on the same technical concept as the above embodiment, the present application also provides a receiving device, which can be applied to Figure 1 The second communication device shown in . The receiving device can be used to implement the function of the method executed by the receiving device in the above embodiment, so the beneficial effects possessed by the above method embodiment can be achieved.

[0155] In some embodiments, the structure of the receiving device 1300 can be as follows: Fig.13As shown, it includes a processor 1301 and a memory 1302 connected to the processor 1301. The processor 1301 and the memory 1302 can be interconnected via a bus, and the processor 1301 can serve as the main processor of the receiving device 1300, that is, the control core of the receiving device 1300. The bus can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. The specific connection medium between the above-mentioned processor 1301 and the memory 1302 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0156] The memory 1302 may include the above-mentioned memory, and the memory 1302 may be a volatile memory, such as a random access memory; the memory may also be a non-volatile memory, such as a read-only memory ROM, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or the memory 1302 is any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory 1302 may be a combination of the above-mentioned memories. The memory 1302 may be used to store software programs and modules.

[0157] The processor 1301 may include one or more processors. The processor 1301 executes various functional applications and data processing of the receiving device 1300 by running software programs and modules stored in the memory 1302, such as the beamforming mode determination method or communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0158] In an optional embodiment, the processor 1301 can receive a beamformed data packet sent by a sending device by running a software program and a module stored in the memory 1302, and obtain the data to be sent according to the beamformed data packet. Among them, the beamformed data packet is obtained by the sending device using a target beamforming mode to beamform the data to be sent. The target beamforming mode can be determined in the following manner: the receiving device receives multiple reference data packets sent by the sending device through a receiving antenna; the multiple reference data packets are obtained by the sending device using multiple preset beamforming modes to beamform the same reference data; any reference data packet in the multiple reference data packets is sent by the sending device to the receiving device through an antenna array. The receiving device sends feedback information to the sending device through a transmitting antenna; the feedback information is generated by the receiving device for the received reference data packet; the feedback information is used by the sending device to determine the target beamforming mode; the target beamforming mode is one of the multiple beamforming modes; the target beamforming mode is used by the sending device to beamform the data when sending data to the receiving device.

[0159] In another optional embodiment, the processor 1201 can receive multiple beamformed data packets sent by the sending device by running the software program and the module stored in the memory 1202, and obtain the data to be sent according to the multiple beamformed data packets. The multiple beamformed data packets are obtained by the sending device performing beamforming on the same data to be sent using multiple preset beamforming modes.

[0160] In some embodiments, the receiving device 1300 may further include a communication module, such as Figure 1 The receiving antenna, antenna array, etc. shown in the communication module can be used to communicate with other network elements in the network.

[0161] It is to be understood that the structure illustrated in the embodiment of the present application does not constitute a specific limitation on the receiving device. In other embodiments of the present application, the receiving device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or split certain components, or arrange the components differently. The components shown in the figure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0162] Based on the same technical concept as the above embodiment, the present application also provides a communication system, which can be Figure 1 The wireless communication system shown in . The communication system may include a sending device and a receiving device, the sending device includes the above-mentioned sending device, and the receiving device includes the above-mentioned receiving device. The communication system can be used to implement the functions of the above-mentioned method embodiment, so the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned method embodiment can be achieved.

[0163] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by hardware, or by a processor executing a computer program or instruction. The computer program or instruction can constitute a computer program product. The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, including computer executable instructions. In one embodiment, the computer executable instructions are used to enable a computer to perform the functions in the above method embodiments.

[0164] The computer executable instructions may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. The present application also provides a computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium stores the executable instructions. In one embodiment, the computer executable instructions are used to enable a computer to execute the functions in the above method embodiment.

[0165] The computer-readable storage medium provided in the embodiments of the present application may be a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, 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), a register, a hard disk, a mobile hard disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of computer-readable storage medium known in the art.

[0166] Computer executable instructions may be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transferred from one computer readable storage medium to another computer readable storage medium. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center by wired or wireless means. The computer readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magnetic tape; it may also be an optical medium, such as a digital video disc (DVD); it may also be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid state drive.

[0167] In each embodiment of the present application, if there is no special explanation and logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, including a series of steps or units. Methods, systems, products or devices are not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0168] Although the present application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments thereof, it is apparent that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, the present specification and the accompanying drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the schemes defined by the appended claims, and are deemed to have covered any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application.

[0169] Obviously, those skilled in the art can 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 embodiments of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A beamforming mode determination method, characterized in that: Applied to a sending device, the method comprises: Sending a plurality of reference data packets to a receiving device; the plurality of reference data packets are obtained by the sending device performing beamforming on the same reference data using a plurality of preset beamforming modes respectively; any reference data packet among the plurality of reference data packets is sent by the sending device to the receiving device through an antenna array; receiving feedback information sent by the receiving device; the feedback information is generated by the receiving device for the received reference data packet; the receiving device includes a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna, and the feedback information is sent to the sending device through the transmitting antenna after the receiving device receives the reference data packet through the receiving antenna; A target beamforming mode is determined according to the feedback information; the target beamforming mode is one of the multiple beamforming modes; the target beamforming mode is used by the transmitting device to perform beamforming on data sent to the receiving device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The feedback information includes a recommended beamforming mode; the recommended beamforming mode is selected by the receiving device from the multiple beamforming modes; The step of determining a target beamforming mode according to the feedback information includes: The recommended beamforming mode is used as the target beamforming mode.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The feedback information includes a signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode in the multiple beamforming modes; The step of determining a target beamforming mode according to the feedback information includes: The target beamforming mode is selected from the multiple beamforming modes according to the magnitude of the signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The feedback information includes confirmation information for any reference data packet generated by the receiving device after receiving any reference data packet among the multiple reference data packets: The step of determining a target beamforming mode according to the feedback information includes: Determine, according to confirmation information of the reference data packet included in the feedback information, a reception success rate corresponding to each of the multiple beamforming modes; The target beamforming mode is selected from the multiple beamforming modes according to the reception success rate corresponding to each beamforming mode.

5. A beamforming mode determination method, characterized in that: Applied to a receiving device, the receiving device includes a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna, and the method includes: Receiving, through the receiving antenna, a plurality of reference data packets sent by a sending device; the plurality of reference data packets are obtained by the sending device performing beamforming on the same reference data using a plurality of preset beamforming modes respectively; any reference data packet among the plurality of reference data packets is sent by the sending device to the receiving device through the antenna array; Feedback information is sent to the sending device via the transmitting antenna; the feedback information is generated by the receiving device for the received reference data packet; the feedback information is used by the sending device to determine a target beamforming mode; the target beamforming mode is one of the multiple beamforming modes; the target beamforming mode is used by the sending device to beamform data sent to the receiving device.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The feedback information includes a recommended beamforming mode, where the recommended beamforming mode is selected by the receiving device from the multiple beamforming modes; or The feedback information includes a signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode in the plurality of beamforming modes; or The feedback information includes confirmation information for any reference data packet generated by the receiving device after receiving any reference data packet among the multiple reference data packets.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The feedback information includes a recommended beamforming mode; the recommended beamforming mode is determined by: Determine, according to a signal strength parameter measured during the process of receiving each reference data packet in the multiple reference data packets, a signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode in the multiple beamforming modes; The recommended beamforming mode is selected from the multiple beamforming modes according to the magnitude of the signal strength parameter corresponding to each beamforming mode.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The signal strength parameter is a received signal strength indication RSSI.

9. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a sending device, the method comprises: The target beamforming mode is used to beamform the data to be transmitted, and a beamformed data packet is obtained; Sending the beamformed data packet to a receiving device through an antenna array; The target beamforming mode is determined by: Sending a plurality of reference data packets to a receiving device; the plurality of reference data packets are obtained by the sending device performing beamforming on the same reference data using a plurality of preset beamforming modes respectively; any reference data packet among the plurality of reference data packets is sent by the sending device to the receiving device through an antenna array; receiving feedback information sent by the receiving device; the feedback information is generated by the receiving device for the received reference data packet; the receiving device includes a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna, and the feedback information is sent to the sending device through the transmitting antenna after the receiving device receives the reference data packet through the receiving antenna; The target beamforming mode is determined according to the feedback information; the target beamforming mode is one of the multiple beamforming modes.

10. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a receiving device, the receiving device includes a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna, and the method includes: receiving a beamformed data packet sent by a transmitting device; the beamformed data packet is obtained by the transmitting device performing beamforming on data to be transmitted using a target beamforming mode; Obtaining the data to be sent according to the beamformed data packet; The target beamforming mode is determined by: receiving, through the receiving antenna, a plurality of reference data packets sent by the transmitting device; the plurality of reference data packets are obtained by the transmitting device performing beamforming on the same reference data using a plurality of preset beamforming modes respectively; any reference data packet among the plurality of reference data packets is sent by the transmitting device to the receiving device through the antenna array; Feedback information is sent to the sending device through the transmitting antenna; the feedback information is generated by the receiving device for the received reference data packet; the feedback information is used by the sending device to determine a target beamforming mode; the target beamforming mode is one of the multiple beamforming modes.

11. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a sending device, the method comprises: Using a plurality of preset beamforming modes to perform beamforming on the same data to be transmitted, respectively, to obtain a plurality of beamformed data packets; The plurality of beamformed data packets are respectively sent to a receiving device through an antenna array.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a receiving device, the method comprises: receiving a plurality of beam-formed data packets sent by a transmitting device; the plurality of beam-formed data packets are obtained by the transmitting device performing beamforming on the same data to be transmitted using a plurality of preset beamforming modes respectively; The data to be sent is obtained according to the multiple beam-formed data packets.

13. A sending device, characterized in that: The device comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, or a module for executing the method according to claim 9, or a module for executing the method according to claim 11.

14. A receiving device, characterized in that: The device comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, or a module for executing the method according to claim 10, or a module for executing the method according to claim 12.

15. A sending device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory; the processor is used to read and execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, or the method according to claim 9 is executed, or the method according to claim 11 is executed.

16. A receiving device, characterized in that: It comprises a processor and a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory; the processor is used to read and execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, or the method according to claim 10 is executed, or the method according to claim 12 is executed.

17. A communication system, characterized in that: It comprises a sending device and a receiving device, wherein the sending device comprises the sending apparatus as claimed in claim 15, and the receiving device comprises the receiving apparatus as claimed in claim 16.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: Computer executable instructions are stored, and the computer executable instructions are used to enable a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

Images