Radio frequency front end, radio frequency front end control method and device and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to a radio frequency front end, a radio frequency front end control method and device and a storage medium. The radio frequency front end comprises a multi-mode multi-frequency-band power amplifier, a first frequency band, a second frequency band and a third frequency band, the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band support carrier frequency bands supported by a long-term evolution network, the highest frequency of the first frequency band is smaller than a first frequency threshold, the lowest frequency of the third frequency band is larger than a second frequency threshold, and the frequency of the second frequency band is larger than that of the first frequency band. The frequency is smaller than that of the third frequency band; the transmitting module supports receiving and transmitting of corresponding radio frequency signals through an antenna; a multi-path antenna, each path of antenna in the multi-path antenna supports receiving and transmitting of a first radio frequency signal, a second radio frequency signal and a third radio frequency signal, and carrier frequency bands occupied by the first radio frequency signal, the second radio frequency signal and the third radio frequency signal are a first frequency band, a second frequency band and a third frequency band respectively; and the switch module is used for controlling at least one antenna in the multiple antennas to be connected with the transmitting module so as to support the combination of different carrier frequency bands.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a radio frequency front end, a radio frequency front end control method, a device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous advancement of technology, the RF front-end solutions that support wireless communications are also constantly changing and evolving. Among them, the "Phase X" series of RF front-end solutions are defined.

[0003] The "Phase X" series of solutions have accompanied the development of the entire Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. Among them, LTE is also called 4G. The Phase series of solutions have evolved to include: Phase 1 solution, Phase 2 solution, Phase 3 solution, Phase 5 solution, Phase 6 / Phase 6L solution, Phase 7 / Phase 7L / Phase 7LE solution, etc.

[0004] Among them, the relevant technical solutions are mainly based on the L-band Phase7 series to realize its RF front-end combination function. However, although Phase7 can realize low-frequency band, or a combination of low-frequency band and high-frequency band, due to the high integration of Phase7, there are problems such as device function redundancy and high front-end architecture cost. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to overcome the problems existing in the related art, the present disclosure provides a radio frequency front end, a radio frequency front end control method, a device and a storage medium.

[0006] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a radio frequency front end is provided, including:

[0007] A multi-mode multi-band power amplifier, supporting a first frequency band, a second frequency band and a third frequency band of carrier frequency bands supported by a long-term evolution network, wherein the highest frequency of the first frequency band is less than a first frequency threshold, the lowest frequency of the third frequency band is greater than a second frequency threshold, and the frequency of the second frequency band is greater than the frequency of the first frequency band and less than the frequency of the third frequency band; a transmitting module, supporting the reception and transmission of radio frequency signals of the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band through an antenna; a multi-channel antenna, wherein each antenna in the multi-channel antenna supports the reception and transmission of a first radio frequency signal, a second radio frequency signal and a third radio frequency signal, the carrier frequency band occupied by the first radio frequency signal is the first frequency band, the carrier frequency band occupied by the second radio frequency signal is the second frequency band, and the carrier frequency band occupied by the third radio frequency signal is the third frequency band; a switch module, used to control at least one antenna in the multi-channel antenna to be connected to the transmitting module, so as to support a combination of different carrier frequency bands among the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band.

[0008] In one embodiment, the multi-path antenna includes a first antenna and a second antenna; the first antenna is connected to the transmitting module; the second antenna is connected to the transmitting module through a switch module; the first antenna and the second antenna dual-connected to the transmitting module support a combination of different carrier frequency bands in the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band.

[0009] In one embodiment, the switch module includes: a first switch, a second switch and a third switch, which are used to respectively connect different frequency band interfaces of the multi-mode multi-band power amplifier and different frequency band interfaces in the transmitting module, and the transmitting module is connected to the first antenna in the multi-channel antenna; a fourth switch is connected to the second antenna in the multi-channel antenna and is connected to the first switch, the second switch and the third switch.

[0010] In one embodiment, the switch module is used to control at least one of the multiple antennas to be connected to the transmission module in the following manner to support a combination of different carrier frequency bands among the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band, including: selecting a first target frequency band provided by the first antenna through a path formed by the first switch, the second switch, the third switch and the transmission module; controlling the second antenna to form a path with a target switch among the first switch, the second switch and the third switch through the fourth switch, so that the second antenna forms a path with the transmission module and selects the second target frequency band provided by the second antenna; the first target frequency band and the second target frequency band support a combination of different carrier frequency bands among the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band.

[0011] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a radio frequency front end control method is provided, including:

[0012] Determine a frequency band combination corresponding to a target carrier combination; based on the frequency band combination, determine a multi-channel antenna that supports the frequency band combination; through a switch module, control the multi-channel antenna and the transmission module to form a path to support the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination.

[0013] In one embodiment, the switch module includes a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch; the multi-channel antenna includes a first antenna and a second antenna; the switch module is used to control the multi-channel antenna and the transmitting module to form a path to support the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination, including: selecting the first target frequency band provided by the first antenna through the path formed by the first switch, the second switch and the third switch and the transmitting module; controlling the second antenna to form a path with the first switch, the second switch and the target switch among the third switch through the fourth switch, so that the second antenna forms a path with the transmitting module and selects the second target frequency band provided by the second antenna; the combination of the first target frequency band and the second target frequency band is the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination.

[0014] In one implementation, the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination includes a combination of any two of the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band.

[0015] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a radio frequency front-end control device is provided, the device comprising:

[0016] A determination unit, configured to determine a frequency band combination corresponding to a target carrier combination; and based on the frequency band combination, determine a multi-path antenna supporting the frequency band combination;

[0017] The control unit is used to control the multi-path antenna and the transmission module to form a path through the switch module to support the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination.

[0018] In one embodiment, the switch module includes a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch;

[0019] The multi-path antenna comprises a first path antenna and a second path antenna;

[0020] The control unit controls the multi-path antenna and the transmitting module to form a path through the switch module to support the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination in the following manner:

[0021] The first target frequency band provided by the first antenna is selected through the path formed by the first switch, the second switch, the third switch and the transmitting module; the second antenna is controlled by the fourth switch to form a path with the target switch among the first switch, the second switch and the third switch, so that the second antenna forms a path with the transmitting module and selects the second target frequency band provided by the second antenna; the combination of the first target frequency band and the second target frequency band is the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination.

[0022] In one implementation, the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination includes a combination of any two of the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band.

[0023] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a radio frequency front-end control device is provided, the device comprising:

[0024] processor;

[0025] a memory for storing processor-executable instructions;

[0026] The processor is configured to: execute the RF front-end control method described in the second aspect or any one of the second aspects.

[0027] According to the fifth aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided, in which instructions are stored. When the instructions in the storage medium are executed by a processor of the RF front-end, the RF front-end can execute the RF front-end control method described in the second aspect or any one of the second aspects.

[0028] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure may include the following beneficial effects: the RF front end includes a multi-mode multi-band power amplifier, a transmitting module, a multi-channel antenna and a switch module. Among them, the multi-channel antenna is controlled by the switch module to form a path with the transmitting module, and the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination required by the new wireless network is realized through the multi-channel antenna. In addition, the multi-mode multi-band power amplifier is a power amplifier that supports the carrier frequency band supported by the long-term evolution network. Therefore, through the present disclosure, based on the power amplifier that supports the carrier frequency band supported by the long-term evolution network, a flexible and diverse frequency band combination of new wireless multi-bands can be realized based on a low-cost multi-band multi-power amplifier.

[0029] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 1 It is a block diagram of a radio frequency front end based on Phase 7 according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0032] Figure 2 The invention is a block diagram of a radio frequency front end according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0033] Figure 3 It is a block diagram of a radio frequency front end based on Phase 2 according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0034] Figure 4 It is a block diagram of a radio frequency front end based on Phase 2 according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0035] Figure 5 The present invention is a flow chart of a radio frequency front end control method according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0036] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a switch module control method according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0037] Figure 7 The invention is a block diagram of a radio frequency front-end control device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0038] Figure 8 The invention is a block diagram of a radio frequency front-end control device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0039] Fig. 9 The invention is a block diagram of a radio frequency front-end control device according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Here, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementations described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure.

[0041] The RF front end and control method thereof provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure are mainly applied to scenarios of wireless communication based on the RF front end, for example, scenarios of supporting the required frequency band combination in different CA (Carrier Aggregation) scenarios through antennas based on the RF front end.

[0042] The Radio Frequency Front-End (RFFE) refers to the part after the antenna and before the transceiver. It is the core component of wireless communication. Because it is located at the front end of the communication system, it is called the "RF front end". The RF front end mainly includes power amplifiers (PA), switches, filters, duplexers (Duplexer and Diplexer) and low noise amplifiers (LNA).

[0043] In the related technologies, the changes in the mobile phone RF front-end architecture can be generally summarized into the following five stages: Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, Phase 5, Phase 6 PA filter integrated module (PA Module integrated with Duplexer, PAMiD) and Phase 7 / Phase 7L / Phase 7LE.

[0044] Among them, Phase7 / Phase7L / Phase7LE solutions support the requirements of high power and high-order modulation. For example, they support 5G requirements for sounding reference signal (SRS) switching, multiple input multiple output (MIMO), and smart antenna switching.

[0045] Among the related technologies, the mainstream technical solution is Phase 7 of L Band to realize its RF front-end combination function. Including: improving the integration of Sub-3GHz, adding a main receiving low noise amplifier (Low Noise Amplifier, LNA) to PAMiD, and forming a low noise power amplifier module integrated duplexer (LNA-Power Amplifier Module integratedDuplexer, L-PAMiD) product form. The high frequency has evolved from a 1-transmit 1-receive (1T1R) power amplifier with an integrated filter (PA Module with Integrated Filter, L-PAMiF) and a 1R L-front-end receiving module (1R L-FEM) solution to a highly integrated solution of 1T2R / 2R. In addition, the functions of the module switch, EN-DC (LTE and 5G dual connection) support, duplexer, etc. are optimized to reduce the demand for module peripheral devices. As follows Figure 1 is a block diagram of a Phase 7-based radio frequency front end according to an exemplary embodiment, referring to Figure 1 The RF front end includes: Phase7 multi-mode multi-band power amplifier (Multi-Mode Multi Band Power Amplifier Module, MMMB PA) and two antennas.

[0046] Among them, Phase7 MMMB PA includes a multi-band power amplifier, a transmitting module, a switch module, etc., which are used to control two antennas to achieve different carrier frequency band combinations. In the disclosed embodiment, Phase7 MMMB PA is a highly integrated chip that integrates a multi-band power amplifier, a transmitting module, a switch module, etc. The two antennas include an antenna for transmitting and receiving medium and high frequency RF signals (MHB Rx Signal), and another antenna for transmitting and receiving low frequency RF signals (LB Rx Signal). Figure 1 As shown, the mid-high frequency antenna for transmitting and receiving mid-high frequency radio frequency signals among the two antennas is connected to the MHB (mid-high frequency) port of the Phase7 MMMB PA. The other low frequency antenna for transmitting and receiving low frequency band radio frequency signals is connected to the LB (low frequency) port of the Phase7 MMMB PA.

[0047] In the disclosed embodiment, the combination of carrier frequency bands of low frequency band and medium frequency band as well as low frequency band and high frequency band can be achieved by controlling two antennas through Phase 7 MMMB PA.

[0048] However, the high integration of Phase 7 leads to high cost of front-end architecture and the existence of device function redundancy.

[0049] In view of this, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a radio frequency front end that supports CA combination based on a Phase 2 radio frequency front end module.

[0050] The Phase 2 solution is the first generation of normalized 4G RF front-end solution. It has the following features: The 2G PA of Phase 1 is integrated with the ASM (Antenna Switch Module) to form a TxM (Transmitter Module). The PA of the 4G frequency band is integrated to form a 4G MMMB PA (Multi-Mode, Multi Band Power Amplifier Module).

[0051] The definition of Phase2 solution not only takes into account the unification of current solutions, but also the compatibility of different operators, the feasibility of solution ecology, the evolution of future protocols, the coexistence of 4G three-mode / five-mode, etc. The use of Phase2 solution can enable TxM to reduce the insertion loss of 2G PA backend, enhance flexibility, and maximize the advantages of different suppliers after separation, preparing for the development of 4G and even 5G frequency bands in the future.

[0052] The present disclosure provides a radio frequency front end, which includes a 4G MMMB PA, a transmitting module, a multi-channel antenna and a switch module. The switch module controls the multi-channel antenna to form a path with the transmitting module, and the multi-channel antenna realizes the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination, thereby saving costs and realizing flexible and diverse frequency band combinations.

[0053] The disclosed embodiments are mainly intended to address initial 5G applications: Sub-3GHz L-Band PA further improves linear power to support 5G high-power, high-order modulation requirements; antenna switch complexity is upgraded to address the needs of SRS switching, MIMO, and smart antenna switching for multipath effects; in addition, the solution improves the flexibility of the architecture, making the LNA, DUP (Duplexer and Diplexer), Filter, and Switch L-FEM compatible with Phase2 / phase5N and other architectures.

[0054] Figure 2 A radio frequency front end 100 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 The RF front end 100 includes: a multi-mode multi-band power amplifier 101, a switch module 102, a transmission module 103, and a multi-path antenna 104.

[0055] The multi-mode multi-band power amplifier 101 is used to support a first frequency band, a second frequency band and a third frequency band of carrier frequency bands supported by a long term evolution network.

[0056] In the disclosed embodiment, the first frequency band is a frequency band whose highest frequency is less than a frequency threshold (hereinafter referred to as the first frequency threshold). The first frequency band may also be referred to as a low frequency band (LB). The third frequency band is a frequency band whose lowest frequency is higher than a frequency threshold (hereinafter referred to as the second frequency). The third frequency band is also referred to as a high frequency band (HB). The frequency of the second frequency band is greater than the frequency of the first frequency band, and the frequency of the second frequency band is lower than the frequency of the third frequency band. The second frequency band is also referred to as a mid-frequency band (MB).

[0057] In the disclosed embodiment, the multi-mode multi-band power amplifier 101 may be understood as the 4G MM MB PA in Phase 2.

[0058] The switch module 102 is used to control at least one antenna among the multiple antennas to be connected to the transmitting module to support a combination of different carrier frequency bands among the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band.

[0059] In the disclosed embodiment, the combination of different carrier frequency bands in the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band may be a combination of carrier frequency bands supported by the new wireless network. The new wireless network may be an NR (New Radio, new radio interface) network, which supports large-scale multiple-input multiple-output / large-scale antenna technology, has a large frequency span and a large bandwidth, and can achieve ultra-low latency and high reliability. The carrier frequency range of the NR network may be from about 4 GHz to high frequency bands above 6 GHz, and the carrier bandwidth range that may be supported may also be from about 80 MHz to about 1 GHz.

[0060] The transmitting module 103 is used to support the transmission and reception of radio frequency signals in the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band through the antenna.

[0061] In the disclosed embodiment, the transmitting module 103 supports connecting different switches through different transceiver ports, which correspond to the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band respectively. For example, the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band are respectively a low frequency band, a medium frequency band, and a high frequency band. The transceiver ports of the transmitting module 103 are respectively a low frequency band transceiver port (LB-TRX), a medium frequency band transceiver port (MB-TRX), and a high frequency band transceiver port (HB-TRX).

[0062] In the disclosed embodiment, the transmitting module 103 can be understood as the TxM chip in Phase 2. The TxM includes supported transceiver ports, which are: a low-frequency transceiver port, a medium-frequency transceiver port, and a high-frequency transceiver port.

[0063] The multi-channel antenna 104 is used for each antenna in the multi-channel antenna to support the transmission and reception of the first RF signal, the second RF signal and the third RF signal. The carrier frequency band occupied by the first RF signal is the first frequency band, the carrier frequency band occupied by the second RF signal is the second frequency band, and the carrier frequency band occupied by the third RF signal is the third frequency band.

[0064] In the disclosed embodiment, the first RF signal, the second RF signal and the third RF signal may be a low frequency signal (LB Signal), an intermediate frequency signal (MB Signal) and a high frequency signal (HB Signal) respectively. The carrier frequency band occupied by the low frequency signal is the low frequency band, the carrier frequency band occupied by the intermediate frequency signal is the intermediate frequency band, and the carrier frequency band occupied by the high frequency signal is the high frequency band.

[0065] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, each antenna in the multi-channel antenna 104 supports the transmission and reception of low, medium and high frequency signals, that is, the independent transmission and reception of low frequency signals, medium frequency signals and high frequency signals can be realized. Any combination of transmission and reception between different frequency bands can be realized by combining the multi-channel antennas. For example, the carrier frequency band supported by the NR network is supported in the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band. The combination of different carrier frequency bands.

[0066] In a radio frequency front end 100 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, a multi-channel antenna includes a first antenna and a second antenna. The first antenna is connected to a transmitting module 103. The second antenna is connected to the transmitting module 103 through a switch module 102. The first antenna 104 and the second antenna dual-connected to the transmitting module 103 support a combination of different carrier frequency bands in the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band supported by the NR network.

[0067] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, in a radio frequency front end 100 , a switch module 102 includes: a first switch 106 , a second switch 107 , a third switch 108 and a fourth switch 109 . Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a structure of a radio frequency front end 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 As shown, the first switch 106, the second switch 107, and the third switch 108 are connected to the multi-mode multi-band power amplifier 101 and the transmitting module 103, and are used to respectively connect the different frequency band interfaces of the multi-mode multi-band power amplifier 101 and the different frequency band interfaces in the transmitting module 103. The transmitting module 103 is connected to the first antenna in the multi-channel antenna. The fourth switch 109 is connected to the second antenna in the multi-channel antenna, and is connected to the first switch 106, the second switch 107, and the third switch 108.

[0068] Among them, the fourth switch 109 can be understood as a selection switch, which is used to select to form a path with any switch among the first switch 106, the second switch 107 and the third switch 108, so that the first antenna and the second antenna realize a dual-path antenna, and then realize any combination of the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band, and support the combination of different carrier frequency bands in the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band supported by the NR network.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the different carrier frequency bands in the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band are respectively referred to as the first target frequency band and the second target frequency band. At least one antenna in the multi-channel antenna is controlled to be connected to the transmitting module 103 to support the combination of different carrier frequency bands in the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band. For example, the first target frequency band provided by the first antenna 104 is selected through the path formed by the first switch 106, the second switch 107, and the third switch 108 and the transmitting module 103.

[0070] The fourth switch 109 controls the second antenna to form a path with the first switch 106 , the second switch 107 and the target switch in the third switch 108 , so that the second antenna forms a path with the transmitting module 103 and selects the second target frequency band provided by the second antenna.

[0071] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a path formed by any switch among the first switch 106, the second switch 107 and the third switch 108 and the first antenna provides a first target frequency band. The fourth switch 109 controls the second antenna to form a path with a target switch among the first switch 106, the second switch 107 and the third switch 108, so that the second antenna forms a path with the transmitting module 103, providing a second target frequency band.

[0072] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a multi-mode multi-band power amplifier is represented by Phase2 MMMB PA, a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch are represented by switch 1, switch 2, switch 3 and switch 4 respectively, a first frequency band is LB, a second frequency band is MB, and a third frequency band is HB. The first antenna and the second antenna are low, medium and high frequency antennas that provide low, medium and high frequency signals for explanation.

[0073] Figure 4 is a block diagram of a radio frequency front end according to an exemplary embodiment, referring to Figure 4 The RF front end includes: Phase2 MMMB PA, TxM, switch 4, switch 1, switch 2, switch 3, low, medium and high frequency antenna 1 and low, medium and high frequency antenna 2.

[0074] Phase2 MMMB PA provides LB port, MB port, and HB port. The LB port, MB port, and HB port are connected to switch 1, switch 2, and switch 3 respectively. Among them, the LB port is connected to switch 1, the MB port is connected to switch 2, and the HB port is connected to switch 3.

[0075] TxM is used to support the transmission and reception of low-frequency, mid-frequency, and high-frequency band radio frequency signals through the antenna.

[0076] In the disclosed embodiment, TxM includes three ports, namely: LB_TRX (low-band transceiver) port, MB_TRX (mid-band transceiver) port, and HB_TRX (high-band transceiver) port. The LB_TRX port, MB_TRX port, and HB_TRX port are connected to switch 1, switch 2, and switch 3, respectively. Among them, the LB_TRX port is connected to switch 1, the MB_TRX port is connected to switch 2, and the HB_TRX port is connected to switch 3. TxM is connected to the low, medium, and high frequency antenna 1.

[0077] Based on the above, switch 1, switch 2 and switch 3 have the following three control modes: A\B\C:

[0078] A. Switch 1 is used to connect the LB port of Phase2 MMMB PA and the LB_TRX port of TxM to control the formation of a path between the LB port of Phase2 MMMB PA, the LB_TRX port of TxM and the low, medium and high frequency antenna 1 to provide low frequency signals.

[0079] B. Switch 2 is used to connect the MB port of Phase2 MMMB PA and the MB_TRX port of TxM to control the formation of a path between the MB port of Phase2 MMMB PA, the MB_TRX port of TxM and the low, medium and high frequency antenna 1 to provide the intermediate frequency signal.

[0080] C. Switch 3 is used to connect the HB port of Phase2 MMMB PA and the HB_TRX port of TxM to control the formation of a path between the HB port of Phase2 MMMB PA, the HB_TRX port of TxM and the low, medium and high frequency antenna 1 to provide high frequency signals.

[0081] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, switch 4 is connected to the low, medium and high frequency antenna 2, and is respectively connected to switch 1, switch 2 and switch 3. Among them, switch 4 selects to be connected to any switch among switch 1, switch 2 and switch 3 to realize the formation of a path between the LB port of the Phase2MMMB PA, the LB_TRX port of the TxM and the low, medium and high frequency antenna 2.

[0082] Among them, switch 4 has the following three selection modes: a)\b)\c):

[0083] a) Among them, switch 4 is connected to switch 1 to control the formation of a path between the LB port of Phase 2 MMMB PA, the LB_TRX port of TxM and the low, medium and high frequency antenna 2 to provide a low frequency signal.

[0084] b) Among them, the switch 4 is connected to the switch 2 to control the MB port of the Phase2 MMMB PA, the MB_TRX port of the TxM and the low, medium and high frequency antenna 2 to form a path to provide the intermediate frequency signal.

[0085] c) Among them, the switch 4 is connected to the switch 3 to control the formation of a path between the HB port of the Phase2 MMMB PA, the HB_TRX port of the TxM and the low, medium and high frequency antenna 2 to provide high frequency signals.

[0086] Among them, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, any combination of the above A\B\C, and a)\b)\c) can realize the combination of any two of multiple frequency bands such as low frequency band, medium frequency band and high frequency band. For example, including: low frequency band and low frequency band, low frequency band and medium frequency band, low frequency band and high frequency, medium frequency band and medium frequency band, medium frequency band and high frequency band, high frequency band and high frequency band.

[0087] The RF front end provided in the disclosed embodiment can save costs by using a low-cost Phase 2 RF front end and using Phase 2 MMMB PA, switch module, transmission module, multi-channel antenna, etc. instead of the highly integrated Phase 7 MMMB PA. In addition, each antenna in the multi-channel antenna can provide low-frequency, medium-frequency and high-frequency signals respectively, thereby realizing any flexible combination of low-frequency, medium-frequency and high-frequency using dual antennas at the same time, which is more suitable for CA combination requirements at different communication development stages.

[0088] Based on the above, the disclosed embodiment realizes the Phase 2 architecture of low-frequency, medium-frequency and high-frequency CA through the structure of dual-path low-frequency, medium-frequency and high-frequency antennas + TxM chip. Compared with the Phase 7 architecture of medium-frequency antennas + low-frequency dual antennas + chip solutions with medium-frequency and low power dividers, it can save costs and provide a variety of low-frequency, medium-frequency and high-frequency CA combinations.

[0089] Based on the same concept, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a radio frequency front end control method using the radio frequency front end involved in the above embodiment to provide the required frequency band combination.

[0090] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a radio frequency front end control method according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 5 As shown, the RF front-end control method is used in the RF front-end, and includes the following steps.

[0091] In step S11, a frequency band combination corresponding to a target carrier combination is determined.

[0092] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the target carrier combination can be determined based on the CA combination required for wireless communication. In the embodiment, the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination occupies the frequency band, and the frequency band combination is determined.

[0093] The frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination may be any combination of low frequency, medium frequency and high frequency.

[0094] In step S12, based on the frequency band combination, a multi-path antenna supporting the frequency band combination is determined.

[0095] In the disclosed embodiment, based on the structure of Phase 2, each antenna in the multiple antennas corresponds to a target carrier, and the target carrier frequency band corresponding to each antenna together constitutes a target carrier combination, thereby corresponding to a frequency band combination.

[0096] In the disclosed embodiment, the carrier frequency band corresponding to each antenna in the multi-path antenna is determined according to different frequency band combinations. For different frequency band combinations, the carrier frequency band corresponding to each antenna in the multi-path antenna is different.

[0097] In step S13, the switch module is used to control the multiple antennas and the transmission module to form a path to support the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination.

[0098] In the disclosed embodiment, the switch module selects the corresponding frequency band combination through the path formed by the multi-path antenna and the transmitting module. The transmitting module has multiple transceiver ports corresponding to different frequency bands, and different frequency bands correspond to different paths.

[0099] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a switch module is used to control the multi-channel antenna and the transmitting module to form a path, and the multi-channel antenna is used to realize the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination required by the new wireless network. In addition, the multi-mode multi-band power amplifier is a power amplifier that supports the carrier frequency band supported by the long-term evolution network. Therefore, through the present disclosure, the power amplifier that supports the carrier frequency band supported by the long-term evolution network can realize the flexible and diverse frequency band combination of the new wireless multi-band based on the low-cost multi-band multi-power amplifier.

[0100] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a switch module control method according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 6 As shown, the RF front-end control method is used in the RF front-end, and includes the following steps.

[0101] In step S21, a first target frequency band provided by a first antenna is selected through a path formed by the first switch, the second switch, the third switch and the transmitting module.

[0102] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first target frequency band may be the first frequency band, the second frequency band or the third frequency band.

[0103] In step S22, the fourth switch is used to control the second antenna to form a path with the first switch, the second switch and the target switch among the third switch, so that the second antenna forms a path with the transmitting module, and the second target frequency band provided by the second antenna is selected.

[0104] The combination of the first target frequency band and the second target frequency band is a frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination.

[0105] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the above steps may include the following situations: the target switch is the first switch, the fourth switch controls the second antenna to form a path with the first switch, so that the second antenna forms a path with the transmitting module, and the second target frequency band provided by the second antenna is selected as the first frequency band, which can be a low frequency band.

[0106] The target switch is the second switch, and the fourth switch controls the second antenna to form a path with the second switch, so that the second antenna forms a path with the transmitting module, and selects the second target frequency band provided by the second antenna as the second frequency band, which can be a mid-frequency band.

[0107] The target switch is the third switch, and the fourth switch controls the second antenna to form a path with the third switch, so that the second antenna forms a path with the transmitting module, and selects the second target frequency band provided by the second antenna as the third frequency band, which can be a high frequency band.

[0108] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, when a CA combination of low frequency-medium frequency-high frequency is required, the first switch, the second switch, or the third switch is turned on, and the low frequency, medium frequency, or high frequency can be selected through the path of TxM. The fourth switch selects the path corresponding to low, medium, and high, that is, the low frequency, medium frequency, or high frequency is selected. Replacing a highly integrated chip with multiple discrete modules can save costs, and different frequency band combinations can be achieved by controlling two antennas, making the frequency band combination flexible and diverse.

[0109] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the multi-channel antenna includes a first channel antenna and a second channel antenna, and the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination can be any combination of the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band. For example, the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination includes at least one of the following: the first frequency band and the first frequency band, the first frequency band and the second frequency band, or the first frequency band and the third frequency band; the second frequency band and the second frequency band, or the second frequency band and the third frequency band; the third frequency band and the third frequency band.

[0110] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band can be a low frequency band, a medium frequency band and a high frequency band respectively, and the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination can be: low frequency band and low frequency band, low frequency band and medium frequency band, low frequency band and high frequency band, medium frequency band and medium frequency band, medium frequency band and high frequency band, high frequency band and high frequency band.

[0111] Based on the RF front end and the RF front end control method provided by the above embodiments of the present disclosure, a low-cost front end architecture is implemented, and the target frequency band control implementation process of the CA combination is simple to implement.

[0112] Based on the same concept, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a radio frequency front-end control device.

[0113] It is understandable that the RF front-end control device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function in order to realize the above functions. In combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example disclosed in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0114] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a radio frequency front-end control device according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 7 The device 200 includes a determination unit 201 and a control unit 202.

[0115] A determination unit 201 is configured to determine a frequency band combination corresponding to a target carrier combination; based on the frequency band combination, determine a multi-path antenna that supports the frequency band combination;

[0116] The control unit 202 is used to control the multiple antennas and the transmitting module to form a path through the switch module to support the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination.

[0117] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, costs can be saved, new functions can be added, and frequency band combinations can be made more flexible and diverse compared to related technologies.

[0118] The switch module includes a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch. The multi-channel antenna includes a first channel antenna and a second channel antenna;

[0119] The control unit 202 controls the multi-path antenna and the transmitting module to form a path through the switch module to support the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination in the following manner:

[0120] The first target frequency band provided by the first antenna is selected through the path formed by the first switch, the second switch, the third switch and the transmitting module; the second antenna is controlled by the fourth switch to form a path with the target switch among the first switch, the second switch and the third switch, so that the second antenna forms a path with the transmitting module and selects the second target frequency band provided by the second antenna; the combination of the first target frequency band and the second target frequency band is the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination.

[0121] In one implementation manner, the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination includes a combination of any two of the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band.

[0122] Regarding the device in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0123] Figure 8 1 is a block diagram of a device 300 for radio frequency front-end control according to an exemplary embodiment. The device 300 may be a terminal. For example, the device 300 may be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal, a message transceiver device, a game console, a tablet device, a medical device, a fitness device, a personal digital assistant, etc.

[0124] Reference Figure 8 , the device 300 may include one or more of the following components: a processing component 302 , a memory 304 , a power component 306 , a multimedia component 308 , an audio component 310 , an input / output (I / O) interface 312 , a sensor component 314 , and a communication component 316 .

[0125] The processing component 302 generally controls the overall operation of the device 300, such as operations associated with display, phone calls, data communications, camera operations, and recording operations. The processing component 302 may include one or more processors 320 to execute instructions to complete all or part of the steps of the above-mentioned method. In addition, the processing component 302 may include one or more modules to facilitate the interaction between the processing component 302 and other components. For example, the processing component 302 may include a multimedia module to facilitate the interaction between the multimedia component 308 and the processing component 302.

[0126] The memory 304 is configured to store various types of data to support operations on the device 300. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the device 300, contact data, phone book data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. The memory 304 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0127] The power component 306 provides power to the various components of the device 300. The power component 306 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power for the device 300.

[0128] The multimedia component 308 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the device 300 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touch, slide, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor may not only sense the boundaries of the touch or slide action, but also detect the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 308 includes a front camera and / or a rear camera. When the device 300 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front camera and / or the rear camera may receive external multimedia data. Each front camera and rear camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have a focal length and optical zoom capability.

[0129] The audio component 310 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 310 includes a microphone (MIC), and when the device 300 is in an operating mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a speech recognition mode, the microphone is configured to receive an external audio signal. The received audio signal can be further stored in the memory 304 or sent via the communication component 316. In some embodiments, the audio component 310 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0130] I / O interface 312 provides an interface between processing component 302 and peripheral interface modules, such as keyboards, click wheels, buttons, etc. These buttons may include but are not limited to: a home button, a volume button, a start button, and a lock button.

[0131] The sensor assembly 314 includes one or more sensors for providing various aspects of the status assessment of the device 300. For example, the sensor assembly 314 can detect the open / closed state of the device 300, the relative positioning of components, such as the display and keypad of the device 300, the sensor assembly 314 can also detect the position change of the device 300 or a component of the device 300, the presence or absence of user contact with the device 300, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of the device 300, and the temperature change of the device 300. The sensor assembly 314 can include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. The sensor assembly 314 can also include an optical sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 314 can also include an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[0132] The communication component 316 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the device 300 and other devices. The device 300 can access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi, 2G or 3G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 316 receives a broadcast signal or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 316 also includes a near field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology and other technologies.

[0133] In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus 300 may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors or other electronic components to perform the above method.

[0134] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, such as a memory 304 including instructions, and the instructions can be executed by the processor 320 of the device 300 to perform the above method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0135] Fig. 9 4 is a block diagram of a device 400 for radio frequency front end control according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the device 400 may be provided as a network device. Fig. 9 , the apparatus 400 includes a processing component 401, which further includes one or more processors, and a memory resource represented by a memory 402 for storing instructions executable by the processing component 401, such as an application. The application stored in the memory 402 may include one or more modules, each corresponding to a set of instructions. In addition, the processing component 401 is configured to execute the instructions to perform the above method.

[0136] The device 400 may also include a power supply component 403 configured to perform power management of the device 400, a wired or wireless network interface 404 configured to connect the device 400 to a network, and an input / output (I / O) interface 405. The device 400 may operate based on an operating system stored in the memory 402, such as Windows Server™, Mac OS X™, Unix™, Linux™, FreeBSD™ or the like.

[0137] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, such as a memory 402 including instructions, and the instructions can be executed by a processing component 401 of the apparatus 400 to perform the above method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0138] It is to be understood that in the present disclosure, "plurality" refers to two or more than two, and other quantifiers are similar. "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. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. The singular forms "a", "the" and "the" are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings.

[0139] It is further understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to describe various information, but such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other, and do not indicate a specific order or degree of importance. In fact, the expressions "first", "second", etc. can be used interchangeably. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first information can also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information can also be referred to as the first information.

[0140] It can be further understood that, unless otherwise specified, “connection” includes a direct connection without other components between the two, and also includes an indirect connection with other components between the two.

[0141] It is further understood that, although the operations are described in a specific order in the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure, it should not be understood as requiring the operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a serial order, or requiring the execution of all the operations shown to obtain the desired results. In certain environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

[0142] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any modifications, uses or adaptations of the present disclosure, which follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary technical means in the art that are not disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0143] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A radio frequency front end, characterized in that: include: A multi-mode multi-band power amplifier, supporting a first frequency band, a second frequency band and a third frequency band of a carrier frequency band supported by a long term evolution network, wherein a maximum frequency of the first frequency band is less than a first frequency threshold, a minimum frequency of the third frequency band is greater than a second frequency threshold, and a frequency of the second frequency band is greater than a frequency of the first frequency band and less than a frequency of the third frequency band; A transmitting module, supporting the transmission and reception of radio frequency signals in the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band through an antenna; A multi-channel antenna, each of which supports sending and receiving a first radio frequency signal, a second radio frequency signal, and a third radio frequency signal, the carrier frequency band occupied by the first radio frequency signal is a first frequency band, the carrier frequency band occupied by the second radio frequency signal is a second frequency band, and the carrier frequency band occupied by the third radio frequency signal is a third frequency band; The switch module is used to control at least one of the multiple antennas to be connected to the transmitting module to support a combination of different carrier frequency bands in the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band.

2. The radio frequency front end according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multi-path antenna comprises a first path antenna and a second path antenna; The first antenna is connected to the transmitting module; The second antenna is connected to the transmitting module via a switch module; The first antenna and the second antenna dual-connected to the transmitting module support a combination of different carrier frequency bands among the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band.

3. The radio frequency front end according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The switch module comprises: The first switch, the second switch and the third switch are used to respectively connect the different frequency band interfaces of the multi-mode multi-band power amplifier and the different frequency band interfaces in the transmitting module, and the transmitting module is connected to the first antenna in the multi-channel antenna; The fourth switch is connected to the second antenna of the multi-path antenna and is connected to the first switch, the second switch and the third switch.

4. The radio frequency front end according to claim 3, characterized in that: The switch module is used to control at least one of the multiple antennas to be connected to the transmitting module in the following manner to support a combination of different carrier frequency bands in the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band, including: Selecting a first target frequency band provided by the first antenna through a path formed by the first switch, the second switch, the third switch and the transmitting module; Controlling the second antenna through the fourth switch to form a path with the first switch, the second switch, and a target switch among the third switches, so that the second antenna forms a path with the transmitting module, and selecting a second target frequency band provided by the second antenna; The first target frequency band and the second target frequency band are combinations of different carrier frequency bands supporting carrier frequency bands in the first frequency band, the second frequency band, and the third frequency band.

5. A radio frequency front end control method, characterized in that: include: Determine a frequency band combination corresponding to a target carrier combination; Based on the frequency band combination, determining a multi-path antenna supporting the frequency band combination; The switch module is used to control the multi-path antenna and the transmission module to form a path to support the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The switch module includes a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch; The multi-path antenna comprises a first path antenna and a second path antenna; The controlling the multi-path antenna and the transmitting module to form a path through the switch module to support the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination includes: Selecting a first target frequency band provided by the first antenna through a path formed by the first switch, the second switch, the third switch and the transmitting module; Controlling the second antenna through the fourth switch to form a path with the first switch, the second switch, and a target switch among the third switches, so that the second antenna forms a path with the transmitting module, and selecting a second target frequency band provided by the second antenna; A combination of the first target frequency band and the second target frequency band is a frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination.

7. According to the method of claim 5 or 6, the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination includes a combination of any two of the first frequency band, the second frequency band and the third frequency band.

8. A radio frequency front-end control device, characterized in that: include: A determination unit, used to determine a frequency band combination corresponding to a target carrier combination; Based on the frequency band combination, determining a multi-path antenna supporting the frequency band combination; The control unit is used to control the multi-path antenna and the transmission module to form a path through the switch module to support the frequency band combination corresponding to the target carrier combination.

9. A radio frequency front-end control device, characterized in that: include: processor; a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; Wherein, the processor is configured to: execute the RF front-end control method described in any one of claims 5-7.

10. A storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions in the storage medium are executed by the processor of the RF front end, the RF front end can execute the RF front end control method described in any one of claims 5 to 7.

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