Dual-mode communication chip, power utilization data acquisition equipment, method and medium

Abstract

The invention provides a dual-mode communication chip, power utilization data acquisition equipment, a power utilization data acquisition method and a medium, and the dual-mode communication chip comprises an analog front-end module which is used for transmitting and receiving signals through a power line channel and a wireless channel; the channel monitoring selection module is used for measuring signal parameters on the power line channel and the wireless channel, carrying out comprehensive evaluation, and selecting at least one of the power line channel and the wireless channel according to an evaluation result to carry out signal transmission; the baseband module is used for receiving and sending signals according to the opening conditions of the power line channel and the wireless channel, carrying out demodulation and decoding processing on the received signals, carrying out modulation and coding processing on digital signals and then sending the digital signals to the opened channel, the signal parameters comprise at least one of a signal strength parameter, a signal stability parameter and a signal noise parameter. According to the scheme, a proper communication mode can be selected according to the environment, the communication quality is improved, and the power consumption is lower.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of power transmission communication, and particularly to a dual-mode communication chip, an electricity consumption data acquisition device, a method and a medium. Background Art

[0002] High-speed Power Line carrier Communication (HPLC) and High-speed Radio Frequency (HRF) communication are two different signal communication methods. Among them, HPLC is a broadband power line carrier technology for data transmission on low-voltage power lines, which has the characteristics of high speed, strong real-time performance, strong anti-interference ability, high transmission reliability, and the ability to realize chip interconnection and interoperability; HRF is a technology for data transmission through radio waves, mainly using radio frequency signals to propagate in space to achieve communication between wireless devices, which has the characteristics of no need for wiring, high flexibility, and wide coverage. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To solve the above technical problems, this application provides a dual-mode communication chip, an electricity consumption data acquisition device, a method and a medium, which are used to select a suitable communication method according to the environment to improve the communication quality and achieve low-power design.

[0004] According to the first aspect of this application, a dual-mode communication chip is provided, including:

[0005] An analog front-end module, configured to perform signal transceiver through a power line channel and a wireless channel;

[0006] A channel monitoring and selection module, connected to the analog front-end module, configured to measure signal parameters on the power line channel and the wireless channel and perform comprehensive evaluation, and select at least one of the power line channel and the wireless channel according to the evaluation result for signal transmission;

[0007] A baseband module, connected to the channel monitoring and selection module, configured to receive the output signal of the analog front-end module according to the signal transmission channel determined by the channel monitoring and selection module during the signal reception stage, and perform demodulation and decoding processing on the received signal, or perform modulation and encoding processing on the digital signal to be transmitted during the signal transmission stage and then send it to the analog front-end module for transmission to the opened channel via the analog front-end module,

[0008] wherein, the signal parameters include at least one of the following:

[0009] Signal strength parameter;

[0010] Signal stability parameter; and

[0011] Signal - to - noise parameter

[0012] Optionally, the channel monitoring and selection module is configured to:

[0013] When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel reaches the first predetermined standard, preferentially turn on the power line channel, turn off the wireless channel, and use the power line channel for signal transmission; or,

[0014] When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel does not reach the first predetermined standard, if the evaluation result corresponding to the wireless channel reaches the second predetermined standard, then turn off the power line channel, turn on the wireless channel, and use the wireless channel for signal transmission; or,

[0015] When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel does not reach the first predetermined standard and the evaluation result corresponding to the wireless channel does not reach the second predetermined standard, use the simultaneously - turned - on power line channel and wireless channel for signal transmission.

[0016] Optionally, the analog front - end module includes:

[0017] A power line carrier communication unit, coupled to the power line to match the power line channel, for receiving an analog signal from the power line or sending the signal processed by the baseband module to the power line;

[0018] A radio frequency wireless communication unit, connected to an antenna to match the wireless channel, for receiving an analog signal from the antenna or sending the signal processed by the baseband module to the antenna;

[0019] The analog front - end module further includes at least one of a signal amplifier, a filter, an analog - to - digital converter, and a digital - to - analog converter. Among them, the signal amplifier is used to amplify the signal to increase the signal strength and reduce the signal noise, the filter is used to remove the unnecessary frequency components in the signal to ensure that only the required signal passes through, the analog - to - digital converter is used to realize the conversion of analog signals to digital signals, and the digital - to - analog converter is used to realize the conversion of digital signals to analog signals.

[0020] Optionally, the channel monitoring and selection module includes at least one of an intensity measurement unit, a stability measurement unit, and a noise estimation unit, as well as a channel quality comprehensive evaluation unit, a channel gating unit, and a data processing unit, where,

[0021] The intensity measurement unit is configured to receive the signals from the power line channel and the wireless channel, and estimate the signal intensities of each channel respectively according to the intensity evaluation algorithm to obtain the signal intensity parameters of each channel;

[0022] The stability measurement unit is configured to receive the signals from the power line channel and the wireless channel, and estimate the signal stabilities of each channel respectively according to the stability evaluation algorithm to obtain the signal stability parameters of each channel;

[0023] The noise estimation unit is configured to receive the signals from the power line channel and the wireless channel, and estimate the signal noises of each channel respectively according to the noise evaluation algorithm to obtain the signal noise parameters of each channel;

[0024] The channel quality comprehensive evaluation unit is configured to process at least one of the signal intensity parameters, the signal stability parameters, and the signal noise parameters of each channel by using the comprehensive evaluation algorithm to evaluate the signal quality of each channel and output the result parameters;

[0025] The channel gating unit is configured to control the opening and closing of the power line channel and the wireless channel according to the result parameters;

[0026] The data processing unit is configured to synchronize and fuse the signals from the power line channel and the wireless channel when both the power line channel and the wireless channel are open, and output the fused signal to the baseband module.

[0027] Optionally, the baseband module includes:

[0028] A demodulation and decoding unit, configured to demodulate and decode the received channel signal to obtain the frame control data and payload data in the channel signal;

[0029] A modulation and encoding unit, configured to encode and modulate the frame control data and payload data to obtain the signal to be sent to the corresponding channel;

[0030] A control unit, respectively connected to the demodulation and decoding unit and the modulation and encoding unit, configured to control the shutdown and startup of the demodulation and decoding unit and the modulation and encoding unit according to the signal reception and transmission requirements,

[0031] wherein, the control unit controls the demodulation and decoding unit and the modulation and encoding unit to be turned on in a time-sharing manner.

[0032] Optionally, the demodulation and decoding unit includes:

[0033] A demodulator, configured to demodulate the received channel signal in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing manner;

[0034] A first decoder for decoding a physical layer header in the demodulated channel signal to obtain frame control data;

[0035] A second decoder for decoding payload data in the demodulated channel signal to obtain payload data;

[0036] The modulation and coding unit includes:

[0037] A first encoder for encoding and interleaving the frame control data;

[0038] A second encoder for encoding and interleaving the payload data;

[0039] A modulator for modulating the encoded frame control data and payload data in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing manner to obtain a signal to be transmitted to a corresponding channel.

[0040] Optionally, the control unit includes a clock gating circuit, which is respectively connected to the demodulator, the first decoder, the second decoder, the first encoder, the second encoder and the modulator;

[0041] The clock gating circuit is used to turn on the demodulator, the first decoder and the second decoder during the process of the baseband module receiving data when performing corresponding data processing, and turn them off after the data processing is completed;

[0042] The clock gating circuit is further used to turn on the first encoder, the second encoder and the modulator during the process of the baseband module sending data when performing corresponding data processing, and turn them off after the data processing is completed.

[0043] According to a second aspect of the present application, a dual-mode communication method is provided, including:

[0044] When receiving signals using a power line channel and a wireless channel, respectively measuring signal parameters on the power line channel and the wireless channel and performing comprehensive evaluation, and selecting to turn on at least one of the power line channel and the wireless channel for signal transmission according to the evaluation result; and

[0045] In the signal reception stage, performing demodulation and decoding processing on the signals received from the turned-on channel, or in the signal transmission stage, performing modulation and coding processing on the digital signals to be transmitted and then sending them to the turned-on channel,

[0046] Wherein, the signal parameters include at least one of the following:

[0047] Signal strength parameter;

[0048] A signal stability parameter; and

[0049] A signal noise parameter.

[0050] Optionally, at least one of the power line channel and the wireless channel is selected to be turned on for signal transmission according to the evaluation result, including:

[0051] When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel reaches a first predetermined standard, the power line channel is preferentially turned on, the wireless channel is turned off, and the power line channel is used for signal transmission; or

[0052] When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel does not reach the first predetermined standard, if the evaluation result corresponding to the wireless channel reaches a second predetermined standard, the power line channel is turned off, the wireless channel is turned on, and the wireless channel is used for signal transmission; or

[0053] When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel does not reach the first predetermined standard and the evaluation result corresponding to the wireless channel does not reach the second predetermined standard, the simultaneously turned-on power line channel and wireless channel are used for signal transmission.

[0054] According to a third aspect of the present application, there is provided an electricity consumption data acquisition device, including:

[0055] A current sampling module, configured to sample the power line of the corresponding electricity consumption device in real time to obtain current sampling data of the electricity consumption device;

[0056] A voltage sampling module, configured to sample the power line of the electricity consumption device in real time to obtain voltage sampling data of the electricity consumption device;

[0057] An electric energy metering module, configured to calculate the current sampling data and voltage sampling data of the electricity consumption device to obtain electricity consumption data of the electricity consumption device;

[0058] A dual-mode communication chip as described in any embodiment of the present application, configured to preferentially select a communication method according to the evaluation results of the signal quality of the power line channel and the wireless channel, and transmit the electricity consumption data to a data concentrator based on the selected communication method, so that the data concentrator processes and analyzes the electricity consumption data to determine the operating state of the electricity consumption device.

[0059] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, there is provided an electronic device, including: a processor, a memory, and a program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, where when the program is executed by the processor, the steps of the method as described in any embodiment of the present application are implemented.

[0060] According to the fifth aspect of the present application, there is provided a storage medium, on which a computer program or instruction is stored, and when the computer program or instruction is executed by a processor, the steps of the method described in any embodiment of the present application are implemented.

[0061] By adopting the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application, it is possible to select a suitable communication method according to the environment, improve the communication quality, and in addition, it is also possible to achieve low-power operation of the chip.

[0062] It should be noted that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] Figure 1 Showing a schematic structural diagram of a power consumption data acquisition system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] Figure 2 Showing a schematic structural diagram of a power consumption data acquisition terminal provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] Figure 3 Showing a schematic structural diagram of a data concentrator provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] Figure 4 Showing a schematic structural diagram of a dual-mode communication chip provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] Figure 5 Showing a schematic structural diagram of a channel monitoring and selection module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] Figure 6 Showing a schematic structural diagram of a baseband module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] Figure 7 Showing a schematic flowchart of a dual-mode communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] Figure 8 Showing a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0071] To facilitate the understanding of the present application, the present application will be described more comprehensively below with reference to the relevant drawings. The preferred embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings. However, the present application can be implemented in different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure content of the present application more thorough and comprehensive.

[0072] Reference to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" or the like described in this specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, statements such as "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in other some embodiments", "in still other embodiments", etc., which appear in different places in this specification, do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising", "including", "having" and their variants all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0073] In the description of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to mean as an example, illustration, or explanation. Any embodiment described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the present application should not be construed as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments. The "and / or" herein is a description of the relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. "A plurality" means two or more than two. In addition, in order to clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish the same items or similar items with basically the same functions and roles. Those skilled in the art can understand that the words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and the words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily mean different.

[0074] In addition, the same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar structures, so the repeated description thereof will be omitted. That is, the various parts of this specification are described in a combined manner of parallel and progressive. Each part focuses on the differences from other parts, and the same or similar parts between the parts can be referred to each other.

[0075] Figure 1 The structural schematic diagram of the power consumption data acquisition system provided according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As Figure 1 shown, the power consumption data acquisition system 100 includes n power consumption devices (where n is a positive integer greater than 1, and the n power consumption devices are represented by power consumption devices 110-1 to power consumption devices 110-n), n power consumption data acquisition terminals (where the n power consumption data acquisition terminals are represented by power consumption data acquisition terminals 120-1 to power consumption data acquisition terminals 120-n), a data concentrator 130, and a device operation status monitoring device 140.

[0076] In some embodiments, in a power system, a substation area refers to a relatively small power supply area, usually including a group of residential, commercial, or industrial buildings. The electrical devices here refer to various electrical devices used within a substation area, including lighting devices, household appliances, industrial equipment, etc. In some embodiments, the power consumption data acquisition terminals correspond one-to-one with the electrical devices. The power consumption data acquisition terminals can be installed on the corresponding electrical devices to collect and record the power consumption data of the electrical devices. In some embodiments, the power consumption data acquisition device 120-i (where i is a positive integer greater than 1 and less than or equal to n) real-time collects the power line of the corresponding electrical device 110-i, obtains the current sampling data and voltage sampling data of the electrical device 110-i, calculates the power consumption data of the electrical device 110-i, selects the communication method preferentially from high-speed power line carrier communication (i.e., HPLC technology, simply referred to as power line carrier communication or HPLC communication in this article) and high-speed radio frequency wireless communication (i.e., HRF technology, simply referred to as radio frequency wireless communication or HRF communication in this article), and transmits the power consumption data to the data concentrator 130 based on the selected communication method.

[0077] In some embodiments, the data concentrator 130 receives the power consumption data of the electrical device 110-i. In some implementations, the data concentrator 130 can store the power consumption data of the electrical device 110-i in a local or remote server for subsequent analysis and processing. In this way, by installing the data concentrator 130 in the substation area, the centralized collection and management of the power consumption data of n electrical devices in the substation area can be realized, improving the accuracy and real-time performance of the power consumption data, and providing important data support for the operation and management of the power system.

[0078] In some embodiments, the data concentrator 130 can transmit the power consumption data of the electrical device 110-i to the device operation status monitoring device 140 through a wired or wireless network. The device operation status monitoring device 140 can process and analyze the power consumption data of the electrical device 110-i to determine the operation status of the electrical device. In one example, the device operation status monitoring device 140 can be data analysis software, which can analyze and process based on the power consumption data of the electrical device 110-i to provide an operation status monitoring report and statistical analysis of the electrical device 110-i. Through the analysis of the data, the abnormal conditions and faults of the electrical device 110-i can be discovered in time, and corresponding measures can be taken for repair and maintenance.

[0079] Figure 2 The structural schematic diagram of the power consumption data acquisition terminal provided according to the embodiment of the present application is shown. In some embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, the electricity consumption data acquisition terminal 120-i includes a current sampling module 210, a voltage sampling module 220, an electric energy metering module 230, a memory 240, a sampling control module 250, and a dual-mode communication chip 260.

[0080] In some embodiments, the sampling control module 250 is a control unit for controlling the operation of the current sampling module 210, the voltage sampling module 220, the electric energy metering module 230, the memory 240, and the dual-mode communication module 260. Under the control of the sampling control module 250, the current sampling module 210, the voltage sampling module 220, the electric energy metering module 230, the memory 240, and the dual-mode communication module 260 acquire the electricity consumption data of the electricity-consuming device 110-i. In some embodiments, the current sampling module 210 samples the power line of the corresponding electricity-consuming device 110-i in real time to obtain the current sampling data of the electricity-consuming device 110-i. The voltage sampling module 220 samples the power line of the electricity-consuming device 110-i in real time to obtain the voltage sampling data of the electricity-consuming device 110-i. The electric energy metering module 230 calculates the current sampling data and voltage sampling data of the electricity-consuming device 110-i to obtain the electricity consumption data of the electricity-consuming device 110-i. In some embodiments, the electricity consumption data of the electricity-consuming device 110-i includes: root mean square current, root mean square voltage, active power, reactive power, active electric energy, reactive electric energy, power factor. In some embodiments, the current sampling data, voltage sampling data, and electricity consumption data of the electricity-consuming device 110-i are stored in the memory 240. In some embodiments, the dual-mode communication chip 260 preferentially selects a communication method between power line carrier communication and radio frequency wireless communication according to the evaluation results of the signal quality of the power line channel and the wireless channel, and transmits the electricity consumption data of the electricity-consuming device 110-i to the data concentrator 130 based on the selected communication method, so that the data concentrator 130 can process and analyze the electricity consumption data to determine the operating state of the electricity-consuming device 110-i.

[0081] Figure 3 The structural schematic diagram of the data concentrator provided according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. In some embodiments, as Figure 3 shown, the data concentrator 130 includes a data concentration control module 410, a key module 420, a display module 430, a memory 440, and a dual-mode communication chip 260.

[0082] In some embodiments, the dataset control module 410 is a control unit for controlling the operation of the key module 420, the display module 430, the memory 440, and the dual-mode communication chip 260. Under the control of the dataset control module 410, the key module 420, the display module 430, the memory 440, and the dual-mode communication chip 260 receive the power consumption data of the power-consuming device 110-i. In some embodiments, the dual-mode communication chip 260 preferentially selects a communication method between power line carrier communication and radio frequency wireless communication based on the evaluation results of the signal quality of the power line channel and the wireless channel, and receives the power consumption data of the power-consuming device 110-i based on the selected communication method. In some embodiments, the received power consumption data of the power-consuming device 110-i can be stored in the memory 440.

[0083] Since high-speed power line carrier communication (HPLC) and high-speed radio frequency wireless communication (HRF) are both vulnerable to the environment during actual use and have certain disadvantages, it is difficult to achieve high-quality communication of data signals when used alone. However, the dual-mode communication chip 260 provided in the embodiments of the present application can preferentially select at least one of power line carrier communication and radio frequency wireless communication for data communication according to the evaluation results of the signal quality of the power line channel and the wireless channel in the current environment, so that the system can find a suitable communication method for accurate data signal transmission in various environments, thereby achieving high-quality data transceiver.

[0084] Figure 4 Shows a schematic structural diagram of a dual-mode communication chip provided according to an embodiment of the present application. In some embodiments, as Figure 4 shown, the dual-mode communication chip 260 includes: an analog front-end module 261, a channel monitoring and selection module 262, a baseband module 263, a control register 264, a main control module 265, a storage module 267, a clock module 268, and a power management module 269.

[0085] In some embodiments, the analog front-end module 261 is used for signal transmission and reception through the power line channel and the wireless channel. The channel monitoring and selection module 262 is connected to the analog front-end module 261 and is used for measuring the signal parameters on the power line channel and the wireless channel and conducting comprehensive evaluation, and selecting at least one of the power line channel and the wireless channel for signal transmission according to the evaluation result. The baseband module 263 is connected to the channel monitoring and selection module 262 and is used for receiving the output signal of the analog front-end module 261 according to the signal transmission channel (power line channel and / or wireless channel) determined by the channel monitoring and selection module 262 during the signal reception phase, and performing demodulation and decoding processing on the received signal, or performing modulation and encoding processing on the digital signal to be transmitted during the signal transmission phase and then sending it to the analog front-end module 261 for transmission to the enabled channel through the analog front-end module 261. The clock module 268 provides the basic clock signal, and the power management module 269 conducts the power supply management of the dual-mode communication chip 260. The main control module 265 controls the signal communication between the analog front-end module 261, the channel monitoring and selection module 262, and the baseband module 263 according to the corresponding control parameters and / or algorithms in the control register 264, so that the dual-mode communication chip 260 can preferentially select the communication method in power line carrier communication and radio frequency wireless communication according to the specific environment for signal transmission, realizing high-quality data transmission and reception. The storage module 267 can store data during the data transmission and reception process of the dual-mode communication chip 260. Exemplarily, the foregoing signal parameters include at least one of a signal strength parameter, a signal stability parameter, and a signal noise parameter.

[0086] In Figure 4 In the illustrated example, the analog front-end module 261 includes a power line carrier communication unit 2611 and a radio frequency wireless communication unit 2612. Among them, the data reception port and the data transmission port of the power line carrier communication unit 2611 are coupled to the power line to match the power line channel and are used for transmitting data through the power line. The data reception port and the data transmission port of the radio frequency wireless communication unit 2612 are connected to the antenna to match the wireless channel and are used for transmitting data through the wireless channel. It should be noted that the data reception port and the data transmission port of the power line carrier communication unit 2611 can be coupled to the same power line or different power lines. Similarly, the data reception port and the data transmission port of the radio frequency wireless communication unit 2612 can be connected to the same antenna or different antennas respectively. The present application does not make strict limitations on this.

[0087] In some embodiments, the analog front-end module 261 further includes at least one of a signal amplifier, a filter, an analog-to-digital converter, and a digital-to-analog converter. Among them, the signal amplifier is used to amplify the signal to increase the signal strength and reduce the signal noise. The filter is used to remove the unnecessary frequency components in the signal to ensure that only the required signal passes through. The analog-to-digital converter is used to convert the analog signal into a digital signal, and the digital-to-analog converter is used to convert the digital signal into an analog signal.

[0088] Specifically, the data receiving part of the power line carrier communication unit 2611 receives the analog signal from the power line, and generates the corresponding digital signal after processing such as signal amplification, filtering, and analog-to-digital conversion. The data sending part of the power line carrier communication unit 2611 converts the digital signal processed by the baseband module 263 into an analog signal suitable for power line transmission and then sends it to the power line, using the power line channel to transmit the data signal.

[0089] The data receiving part of the radio frequency wireless communication unit 2612 receives the analog signal from the antenna, and generates the corresponding digital signal after processing such as signal amplification, filtering, and analog-to-digital conversion. The data sending part of the radio frequency wireless communication unit 2612 sends the digital signal processed by the baseband module 263 to the antenna through the radio frequency signal, using the wireless channel to transmit the data signal.

[0090] Figure 5 The structural schematic diagram of the channel monitoring and selection module provided according to the embodiments of the present application is shown. In some embodiments, refer to Figure 5 , the channel monitoring and selection module 262 includes at least one of an intensity measurement unit 2621, a stability measurement unit 2622, and a noise estimation unit 2623, as well as a channel quality comprehensive evaluation unit 2624, a channel gating unit 2625, and a data processing unit 2626. It should be noted that Figure 5 The shown is only an example of the channel monitoring and selection module 262 when it is necessary to evaluate the signal quality of the power line channel and the wireless channel according to the signal strength parameter, the signal stability parameter, and the signal noise parameter at the same time. In other embodiments, when more or fewer signal parameters are required to evaluate the signal quality of the power line channel and the wireless channel, the setting number or the opening number of the corresponding measurement units can be increased or decreased according to the types of the required parameters. The embodiments of the present application do not make strict restrictions on this.

[0091] In Figure 5In the illustrated example, the intensity measurement unit 2621 receives the signals from the power line channel and the wireless channel, and estimates the signal intensities of the respective channels according to the intensity evaluation algorithm to obtain the signal intensity parameters of the respective channels; the stability measurement unit 2622 periodically receives the signals from the power line channel and the wireless channel, and estimates the signal stabilities of the respective channels according to the stability evaluation algorithm to obtain the signal stability parameters of the respective channels; the noise estimation unit 2623 receives the signals from the power line channel and the wireless channel, and estimates the signal noises of the respective channels according to the noise evaluation algorithm to obtain the signal noise parameters of the respective channels.

[0092] In some preferred examples, the measurement units in the channel monitoring and selection module 262 (such as the intensity measurement unit 2621, the stability measurement unit 2622, and the noise estimation unit 2623) receive the analog signals from the channels without subsequent processing. In this way, the signal quality of each channel in the current environment can be estimated more accurately, which is convenient for improving the accuracy when selecting the communication mode (i.e., the communication channel). Of course, in other possible examples, the measurement units in the channel monitoring and selection module 262 (such as the intensity measurement unit 2621, the stability measurement unit 2622, and the noise estimation unit 2623) can also receive, for example, the analog signals after signal amplification processing or filtering processing, or the digital signals after analog-to-digital conversion, and perform corresponding signal quality estimation accordingly to reduce the complexity during data processing.

[0093] In Figure 5 In the illustrated example, the channel quality comprehensive evaluation unit 2624 receives the signal intensity parameters, signal stability parameters, and signal noise parameters output by the intensity measurement unit 2621, the stability measurement unit 2622, and the noise estimation unit 2623, and is used to process the signal intensity parameters, signal stability parameters, and signal noise parameters of the respective channels by using the comprehensive evaluation algorithm to evaluate the signal quality of the respective channels, and output the result parameters representing the signal quality of the respective channels; the channel gating unit 2625 controls the opening and closing of the power line channel and the wireless channel according to the result parameters output by the channel quality comprehensive evaluation unit 2624, so as to determine the channels suitable for communication in the current environment; the data processing unit 2626 is used to synchronize and fuse the signals from the power line channel and the wireless channel when both the power line channel and the wireless channel are open, and output the fused signal to the baseband module. It should be noted that Figure 5The illustration below is only an example of the channel monitoring selection module 262 when it is necessary to evaluate the signal quality of the power line channel and the wireless channel based on signal strength parameters, signal stability parameters, and signal noise parameters simultaneously. In other embodiments, when more or fewer signal parameters are required to evaluate the signal quality of the power line channel and the wireless channel, the number of signal parameters received and processed by the comprehensive channel quality evaluation unit 2624 can be increased or decreased accordingly according to the types of parameters required. The embodiments of the present application do not impose strict restrictions on this.

[0094] In specific implementation, when the channel monitoring selection module 262 selects to turn on at least one of the power line channel and the wireless channel for signal transmission according to the evaluation result, it includes at least the following situations:

[0095] Situation 1: When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel reaches the first predetermined standard, the power line channel is preferentially used (i.e., using the power line carrier communication method) for signal transmission. At this time, the power line channel can be turned on and the wireless channel can be turned off to reduce the chip power consumption;

[0096] Situation 2: When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel does not reach the first predetermined standard, if the evaluation result corresponding to the wireless channel reaches the second predetermined standard, then the wireless channel is used (i.e., using the radio frequency wireless communication method) for signal transmission. At this time, the power line channel can be turned off and the wireless channel can be turned on to reduce the chip power consumption;

[0097] Situation 3: When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel does not reach the first predetermined standard and the evaluation result corresponding to the wireless channel does not reach the second predetermined standard, both the power line channel and the wireless channel are turned on, and the simultaneously turned-on power line channel and wireless channel (i.e., using a combination of power line carrier communication and radio frequency wireless communication) are used for signal transmission.

[0098] It can be understood that for the above Situation 1 and Situation 2, while enabling accurate data transmission using a suitable channel in the current environment, since only one channel is turned on, the power consumption of the dual-mode communication chip 260 can also be reduced; for the above Situation 3, in the case where the signal quality of both the power line channel and the wireless channel is poor, through the synchronization processing and fusion processing of the signals on the power line channel and the signals on the wireless channel by the data processing unit 2626 in the dual-mode communication chip 260, the required transmitted data can still be accurately obtained, enabling the dual-mode communication chip 260 to find a suitable communication method for accurate data signal transmission in various environments.

[0099] In some preferred examples, when the channel monitoring and selection module 262 monitors that the evaluation results of the power line channel or the wireless channel reach the corresponding predetermined standards, the data processing unit 2626 can also be triggered to be turned off. In other words, only when the channel monitoring and selection module 262 monitors that the evaluation results of both the power line channel and the wireless channel do not reach the corresponding predetermined standards, the data processing unit 2626 is triggered to be turned on, so as to further reduce the power consumption of the dual-mode communication chip 260.

[0100] In some examples, the data processing unit 2626 includes a synchronization circuit and a data fusion circuit. Due to the channel characteristics and noise differences, it is difficult for the signals on the power line and the signals on the wireless channel to be simultaneously received by the corresponding units in the front-end analog module 261. Therefore, when it is necessary to use the data processing unit 2626 to process the signals on the power line channel and the signals on the wireless channel, first, the signals on the power line channel and the signals on the wireless channel are synchronized through the synchronization circuit provided in the data processing unit 2626, and then the synchronized signals on the power line channel and the signals on the wireless channel are fused according to the merging algorithm through the data fusion circuit provided in the data processing unit 2626, so as to be merged into one path of data and output to the baseband module 263.

[0101] Exemplarily, assume that the signal received by the front-end analog module 261 from the wireless channel is Y r , and the signal received from the power line is Y p , then there are:

[0102] Y r = A r x + B r , Y p = A p x + B p ,

[0103] Furthermore, the fused received signal Y = Y r + Y p = (A r + A p )x + B r + B p ,

[0104] wherein, x is the transmitting-end signal, A r , A p are the gains of the wireless channel and the power line channel respectively, and B r , B p are the noise and interference of the wireless channel and the power line channel respectively.

[0105] Figure 6 FIG. shows a schematic structural diagram of a baseband module according to an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 6As shown in the figure, the baseband module 263 includes: an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) demodulator 2631, a first decoder (PHR (Physical Header) decoder) 2632, a second decoder (PSDU (Physical Service Data Unit) decoder) 2633, an OFDM modulator 2634, a first encoder (PHR encoder) 2635, a second encoder (PSDU encoder) 2636, and a control unit 2637. Among them, the OFDM demodulator 2631, the PHR decoder 2632, and the PSDU decoder 2633 constitute the demodulation and decoding unit of the baseband module 263, which is used to demodulate and decode the received channel signal to obtain the frame control data and payload data in the channel signal; the OFDM modulator 2634, the PHR encoder 2635, and the PSDU encoder 2636 constitute the modulation and encoding unit of the baseband module 263, which is used to encode and modulate the frame control data and payload data to obtain the signal sent to the corresponding channel.

[0106] Specifically, when the channel monitoring and selection module 262 selects a suitable communication mode and transmits the channel signal (i.e., the signal received from the power line or wireless channel and processed by the front-end analog module) to the baseband module 263, the OFDM demodulator 2631 in the baseband module 263 is used to demodulate the received channel signal (such as including frame control data and payload data) in the way of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, the PHR decoder 2632 in the baseband module 263 is used to decode the physical layer header in the demodulated channel signal to obtain the frame control data, and the PSDU decoder 2633 in the baseband module 263 is used to decode the payload data in the demodulated channel signal to obtain the payload data.

[0107] When the baseband module 263 needs to send the data signal to the corresponding channel through the channel monitoring and selection module 262, the PHR encoder 2635 in the baseband module 263 is used to encode and interleave the frame control data to be sent, the PSDU encoder 2636 in the baseband module 263 is used to encode and interleave the payload data to be sent, and the OFDM modulator 2634 in the baseband module 263 is used to modulate the encoded frame control data and payload data in the way of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing to obtain the digital signal sent to the corresponding channel.

[0108] The control unit 2637 is connected to the demodulation and decoding unit and the modulation and coding unit, respectively, and is used to control the shutdown and startup of the demodulation and decoding unit and the modulation and coding unit according to the reception and transmission requirements of the signal. In other words, when the demodulation and decoding unit and the modulation and coding unit in the baseband module 263 are set to operate in a non-simultaneous manner, the control unit 2637 can control the demodulation and decoding unit and the modulation and coding unit of the baseband module 263 to start up in a time-sharing manner according to the reception and transmission requirements of the signal. For example, when the baseband module 263 needs to perform modulation and coding processing on the signal without performing demodulation and decoding processing, the control unit 2637 controls the modulation and coding unit of the baseband module 263 to start up and controls the demodulation and decoding unit to shut down; or when the baseband module 263 needs to perform demodulation and decoding processing on the signal without performing modulation and coding processing, the control unit 2637 controls the demodulation and decoding unit of the baseband module 263 to start up and controls the modulation and coding unit to shut down. In this way, the power consumption of the chip can be reduced.

[0109] In some preferred embodiments, the control unit 2637 includes a clock gating circuit, which is respectively connected to the OFDM demodulator 2631, the PHR decoder 2632, the PSDU decoder 2633, the PHR encoder 2635, the PSDU encoder 2636 and the OFDM modulator 2364. The clock gating circuit is used to control the OFDM demodulator 2631, the PHR decoder 2632 and the PSDU decoder 2633 to be turned on when performing corresponding data processing according to the data processing flow of the baseband module 263 during the process of the baseband module 263 receiving data, and to be turned off after the data processing is completed. The clock gating circuit is also used to control the PHR encoder 2635, the PSDU encoder 2636 and the OFDM modulator 2364 to be turned on when performing corresponding data processing according to the data processing flow of the baseband module 263 during the process of the baseband module 263 sending data, and to be turned off after the data processing is completed, so as to reduce chip power consumption. Exemplarily, when the baseband module 263 is set to perform data processing in a pipeline, the OFDM demodulator 2631, PHR decoder 2632 and PSDU decoder 2633 in its demodulation and decoding unit do not work at the same time when demodulating and decoding the received data signal, and the PHR encoder 2635, PSDU encoder 2636 and OFDM modulator 2364 in its modulation and coding unit do not work at the same time when encoding and modulating the data signal to be sent. At this time, the control unit 2637 can control the demodulators, decoders, encoders and modulators in the baseband module 263 through clock gating technology to turn on only when corresponding data processing is required, and turn off after the data processing is completed, thereby further reducing the chip power consumption.

[0110] Exemplarily, the OFDM demodulator 2631 includes, for example, an automatic power control circuit, an interference suppression circuit, a synchronization module, a cyclic prefix removal circuit, an FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) circuit, and a demapping circuit. Among them, the automatic power control circuit is used to control the amplitude of the signal within a certain range, and the interference suppression circuit is used to eliminate the possible interference in the signal); the PHR decoder 2632 includes, for example, a deinterleaving circuit and a decoding circuit; the PSDU decoder 2633 includes, for example, an interleaving circuit, a decoding circuit, and a descrambling circuit; the PHR encoder 2635 includes, for example, an interface control module, an encoding circuit, and a channel interleaving circuit. Among them, the interface control module is used to request data from the storage module 267 according to the working states of encoding, interleaving, and the OFDM modulator 2364, and complete the CRC encoding and bit extension of the data, etc.; the PSDU encoder 2636 includes, for example, an interface control module, a scrambling circuit, an encoding circuit, and a channel interleaving circuit; the OFDM modulator 2364 includes, for example, a mapping circuit, a carrier loading circuit, an IFFT circuit, a cyclic prefix loading circuit, and a windowing circuit. In a further preferred embodiment, the control unit 2637 can also control the internal circuits or modules of each demodulator, decoder, encoder, and modulator in the baseband module 263 to be turned on only when corresponding data processing is required through clock gating technology, and turned off after the data processing is completed, similar to the data processing method of the aforementioned pipeline, so as to further reduce the chip power consumption.

[0111] Figure 7 The flowchart shows a dual-mode communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present application. Refer to Figure 7 The dual-mode communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application includes performing the following steps:

[0112] In step 710, when receiving signals using the power line channel and the wireless channel, measure the signal parameters on the power line channel and the wireless channel respectively and perform a comprehensive evaluation, and select to turn on at least one of the power line channel and the wireless channel for signal transmission according to the evaluation result.

[0113] In this step, the aforementioned signal parameters include, for example, at least one of parameters such as signal strength parameters, signal stability parameters, and signal noise parameters.

[0114] In specific implementation, step 710 specifically includes: when the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel reaches the first predetermined standard, preferentially use the power line channel for signal transmission. At this time, the power line channel can be turned on and the wireless channel can be turned off; or, when the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel does not reach the first predetermined standard, if the evaluation result corresponding to the wireless channel reaches the second predetermined standard, use the wireless channel for signal transmission. At this time, the power line channel can be turned off and the wireless channel can be turned on; or, when the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel does not reach the first predetermined standard and the evaluation result corresponding to the wireless channel does not reach the second predetermined standard, use the simultaneously turned-on power line channel and wireless channel for joint signal transmission.

[0115] In step 720, in the signal reception stage, perform demodulation and decoding processing on the signals received from the turned-on channels, or in the signal transmission stage, perform modulation and encoding processing on the digital signals to be transmitted and then send them to the turned-on channels.

[0116] Since the specific process of the dual-mode communication method using the dual-mode communication chip has been detailed above, it will not be elaborated here.

[0117] This disclosure embodiment also provides an electronic device, as Figure 8 shown, including a memory 820, a processor 810, and a program stored on the memory 820 and executable on the processor 810. When the program is executed by the processor 810, it can implement each process of the above dual-mode communication method embodiments and can achieve the same technical effects. To avoid repetition, it will not be elaborated here.

[0118] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the steps in the above various methods can be completed by instructions or by controlling relevant hardware through instructions. The instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium and loaded and executed by the processor. For this reason, this disclosure embodiment also provides a storage medium, on which a computer program or instructions are stored. When the computer program or instructions are executed by the processor, each process of the above dual-mode communication method embodiments can be implemented.

[0119] Since the instructions stored in the storage medium can execute the steps in the dual-mode communication method provided by this disclosure embodiment, the beneficial effects achievable by the dual-mode communication method provided by this disclosure embodiment can be achieved. See the previous embodiments for details and will not be elaborated here. The specific implementation of each of the above operations can refer to the previous embodiments and will not be elaborated here.

[0120] In summary, based on the dual-mode communication chip structure solutions and their dual-mode communication method solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, it is possible to select an appropriate communication method according to the environment, which is applicable to various complex environments, improves communication quality, and at the same time can also reduce the operating power consumption of the dual-mode communication chip during dual-mode selective communication.

[0121] Finally, it should be noted that: Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples given for clearly illustrating the present application, rather than limitations on the implementation manners. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all the implementation manners here. The obvious changes or modifications derived therefrom are still within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A dual-mode communication chip, comprising: An analog front-end module for transceiver signals via a power line channel and a wireless channel; A channel monitoring and selection module connected to the analog front-end module for measuring signal parameters on the power line channel and the wireless channel and making a comprehensive evaluation, and selecting at least one of the power line channel and the wireless channel for signal transmission according to the evaluation result; A baseband module connected to the channel monitoring and selection module for receiving the output signal of the analog front-end module according to the signal transmission channel determined by the channel monitoring and selection module during the signal reception phase, and performing demodulation and decoding processing on the received signal, or performing modulation and encoding processing on the digital signal to be transmitted during the signal transmission phase and then sending it to the analog front-end module to be sent to the enabled channel via the analog front-end module; wherein the signal parameters include at least one of the following: A signal strength parameter; A signal stability parameter; and A signal noise parameter.

2. The dual-mode communication chip according to claim 1, wherein, The channel monitoring and selection module is configured to: When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel reaches a first predetermined standard, preferentially select the power line channel for signal transmission; or, When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel does not reach the first predetermined standard, if the evaluation result corresponding to the wireless channel reaches a second predetermined standard, use the wireless channel for signal transmission; Or, When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel does not reach the first predetermined standard and the evaluation result corresponding to the wireless channel does not reach the second predetermined standard, use the power line channel and the wireless channel for signal transmission.

3. The dual-mode communication chip according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The analog front-end module includes: A power line carrier communication unit coupled to the power line to match the power line channel for receiving an analog signal from the power line or sending the signal processed by the baseband module to the power line; A radio frequency wireless communication unit connected to an antenna to match the wireless channel for receiving an analog signal from the antenna or sending the signal processed by the baseband module to the antenna.

4. The dual-mode communication chip according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The channel monitoring and selection module includes at least one of an intensity measurement unit, a stability measurement unit, and a noise estimation unit, as well as a channel quality comprehensive evaluation unit, a channel gating unit, and a data processing unit, wherein The intensity measurement unit is configured to receive signals from the power line channel and the wireless channel and estimate the signal intensity of each channel respectively according to an intensity evaluation algorithm to obtain the signal intensity parameters of each channel; The stability measurement unit is configured to receive signals from the power line channel and the wireless channel and estimate the signal stability of each channel respectively according to a stability evaluation algorithm to obtain the signal stability parameters of each channel; The noise estimation unit is configured to receive signals from the power line channel and the wireless channel and estimate the signal noise of each channel respectively according to a noise evaluation algorithm to obtain the signal noise parameters of each channel; The channel quality comprehensive evaluation unit is used to process at least one of the signal strength parameter, the signal stability parameter and the signal noise parameter of each channel using a comprehensive evaluation algorithm to evaluate the signal quality of each channel and output a result parameter; The channel gating unit is used to control the opening and closing of the power line channel and the wireless channel according to the result parameter; The data processing unit is used for synchronizing and fusing the signal from the power line channel and the signal from the wireless channel when both the power line channel and the wireless channel are turned on, and outputting the fused signal to the baseband module.

5. The dual-mode communication chip according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The baseband module comprises: The demodulation and decoding unit is used to demodulate and decode the received channel signal to obtain the frame control data and payload data in the channel signal; A modulation and coding unit, used to encode and modulate the frame control data and the payload data to obtain a signal sent to a corresponding channel; a control unit, connected to the demodulation and decoding unit and the modulation and coding unit, respectively, and used to control the shutdown and startup of the demodulation and decoding unit and the modulation and coding unit according to the signal reception and transmission requirements, The control unit controls the demodulation and decoding unit and the modulation and coding unit to be turned on in a time-sharing manner.

6. The dual-mode communication chip according to claim 5, wherein: The demodulation and decoding unit comprises: A demodulator, used to demodulate the received channel signal in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing manner; A first decoder, configured to decode a physical layer header in the demodulated channel signal to obtain frame control data; A second decoder, used for decoding the payload data in the demodulated channel signal to obtain the payload data; The modulation and coding unit comprises: A first encoder, used for encoding and interleaving frame control data; A second encoder, used for encoding and interleaving the payload data; The modulator is used to modulate the encoded frame control data and payload data in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing manner to obtain a signal sent to a corresponding channel.

7. The dual-mode communication chip according to claim 5 or 6, wherein The control unit includes a clock gating circuit connected to the demodulator, the first decoder, the second decoder, the first encoder, the second encoder and the modulator respectively; The clock gating circuit is used to control the demodulator, the first decoder and the second decoder to be turned on when performing corresponding data processing and turned off after the data processing is completed during the process of the baseband module receiving data according to the data processing flow; The clock gating circuit is also used to control the first encoder, the second encoder and the modulator to start when performing corresponding data processing and to close after the data processing is completed during the process of the baseband module sending data according to the data processing flow.

8. A dual-mode communication method, comprising: When receiving signals via a power line channel and a wireless channel, respectively measuring signal parameters on the power line channel and the wireless channel and performing comprehensive evaluation, and selecting to open at least one of the power line channel and the wireless channel for signal transmission according to the evaluation result; as well as In the signal reception phase, perform demodulation and decoding processing on the signals received from the enabled channels, or in the signal transmission phase, perform modulation and encoding processing on the digital signals to be transmitted and then send them to the enabled channels. Among them, the signal parameters include at least one of the following: Signal strength parameter; Signal stability parameter; and Signal noise parameter.

9. The dual-mode communication method according to claim 8, wherein, Select at least one of the enabled power line channel and the wireless channel for signal transmission according to the evaluation results, including: When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel reaches a first predetermined standard, preferentially select the power line channel for signal transmission; or, When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel does not reach the first predetermined standard, if the evaluation result corresponding to the wireless channel reaches a second predetermined standard, use the wireless channel for signal transmission; or, When the evaluation result corresponding to the power line channel does not reach the first predetermined standard and the evaluation result corresponding to the wireless channel does not reach the second predetermined standard, use the power line channel and the wireless channel for signal transmission.

10. An electricity consumption data acquisition device, comprising: A current sampling module for real-time sampling of the power line of the corresponding electricity consumption device to obtain the current sampling data of the electricity consumption device; A voltage sampling module for real-time sampling of the power line of the electricity consumption device to obtain the voltage sampling data of the electricity consumption device; An electric energy metering module for calculating the current sampling data and voltage sampling data of the electricity consumption device to obtain the electricity consumption data of the electricity consumption device; The dual-mode communication chip according to any one of claims 1-9, for preferentially selecting a communication method according to the evaluation results of the signal quality of the power line channel and the wireless channel, and transmitting the electricity consumption data to the data concentrator based on the selected communication method, so that the data concentrator processes and analyzes the electricity consumption data to determine the operating state of the electricity consumption device.

11. An electronic device, comprising: A processor, a memory, and a program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, the program implementing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 8-9 when executed by the processor.

12. A storage medium having a computer program or instruction stored thereon, the computer program or instruction implementing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 8-9 when executed by a processor.

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