Radio frequency unit, communication device and signal processing method

Abstract

The invention provides a radio frequency unit, a communication device and a signal processing method. The radio frequency unit comprises a first band-pass filter, a first signal conduction module, a low noise amplifier, a frequency mixer, a frequency synthesizer, a zero intermediate frequency analog-to-digital converter and a digital intermediate frequency module. The first band-pass filter performs filtering processing on a first uplink signal from an antenna in a downlink time slot to obtain a first filtered uplink signal; the low noise amplifier amplifies the first filtering uplink signal to obtain an amplified first filtering uplink signal; the frequency synthesizer outputs a first local oscillator signal in a downlink time slot; the frequency of the first local oscillator signal is related to the center frequency of a first uplink signal from the antenna; the mixer carries out frequency mixing processing on the amplified first filtering uplink signal and the first local oscillator signal to obtain a first zero intermediate frequency analog signal. The first uplink signal is received in the downlink time slot, so that the coverage of an uplink can be improved, and the power consumption can be reduced when the frequency of the signal processed by the frequency mixer is reduced to zero intermediate frequency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a radio frequency unit, a communication device, and a signal processing method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, new radio (NR) supports both time division duplex (TDD) and frequency division duplex (FDD) modes. TDD mode features distinct uplink and downlink channels and higher transmission rates; however, the larger proportion of downlink time slots in TDD mode limits uplink performance metrics such as coverage, latency, and capacity. Improving uplink coverage while maintaining lower device power consumption remains a key challenge. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a radio frequency unit, a communication device, and a signal processing method to improve uplink coverage while ensuring lower device power consumption.

[0004] The coupling mentioned in this application can be understood as a direct connection between two devices or an indirect connection between two devices. For example, the first bandpass filter is coupled to the antenna. A direct connection can be understood as the first bandpass filter being directly connected to the antenna. An indirect connection can be understood as the antenna formed by connecting any number of antenna arrays being connected to the first bandpass filter. It can also be understood as the antenna being connected to the first bandpass filter through a resistor device. This is only an example and does not specifically limit the coupling method.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a radio frequency (RF) unit, which may include: a first bandpass filter, a first signal conduction module, a low-noise amplifier, a mixer, a frequency synthesizer, a zero-IF analog-to-digital converter, and a digital intermediate frequency (IF) module; the first bandpass filter is used to filter a first uplink signal from an antenna in a downlink time slot to obtain a first filtered uplink signal, wherein the frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal is different from the frequency band occupied by the downlink signal transmitted by the RF unit in the downlink time slot; the first signal conduction module is used to connect the low-noise amplifier and the first bandpass filter in the downlink time slot; the low-noise amplifier is used to amplify the first filtered uplink signal to obtain an amplified first filtered uplink signal; the frequency synthesizer is used to output a first local oscillator signal in the downlink time slot, wherein the frequency of the first local oscillator signal is related to the center frequency of the first uplink signal from the antenna; the mixer is used to mix the amplified first filtered uplink signal and the first local oscillator signal to obtain a first zero-IF analog signal; the zero-IF analog-to-digital converter is used to convert the first zero-IF analog signal into a first digital IF signal; and the digital IF module is used to process the first digital IF signal.

[0006] In this application, while the downlink time slot radio frequency unit transmits the downlink signal, it can also receive the first uplink signal from the terminal based on frequency division duplex (FDD) mode, thereby improving the uplink coverage. Furthermore, after the first uplink signal is processed by a mixer (e.g., by subtracting the frequency of the first uplink signal from the frequency of the first local oscillator signal), the signal frequency is reduced to a zero-IF signal. Data processing via a zero-IF analog-to-digital converter can then reduce power consumption.

[0007] In one alternative embodiment, the radio frequency unit may further include a second bandpass filter; the second bandpass filter is used to filter the second uplink signal from the antenna in the uplink time slot to obtain a second filtered uplink signal, wherein the frequency band occupied by the second uplink signal from the antenna is different from the frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal from the antenna; a first signal conduction module is also used to connect the low-noise amplifier and the second bandpass filter in the uplink time slot; the low-noise amplifier is also used to amplify the second filtered uplink signal to obtain an amplified second filtered uplink signal; a frequency synthesizer is also used to output a second local oscillator signal in the uplink time slot, wherein the frequency of the second local oscillator signal is related to the center frequency of the second uplink signal from the antenna; a mixer is also used to mix the amplified second filtered uplink signal and the second local oscillator signal to obtain a second zero-IF analog signal; a zero-IF analog-to-digital converter is also used to convert the second zero-IF analog signal into a second digital intermediate frequency signal; and a digital intermediate frequency module is also used to process the second digital intermediate frequency signal.

[0008] In this application, the frequency of the second uplink signal received by the uplink time slot radio frequency unit is reduced to a zero intermediate frequency signal after being processed by a mixer (for example, the frequency difference between the second uplink signal and the second local oscillator signal is calculated). After data processing by the zero intermediate frequency analog-to-digital converter, power consumption can be further reduced.

[0009] In one alternative embodiment, the frequency synthesizer includes a first frequency signal generator and a second frequency signal generator; the first frequency signal generator is used to output a first local oscillator signal in a downlink time slot; the second frequency signal generator is used to output a second local oscillator signal in an uplink time slot; the radio frequency unit further includes a second signal conduction module for connecting the mixer and the first frequency signal generator in the downlink time slot, and connecting the mixer and the second frequency signal generator in the uplink time slot.

[0010] In this method, the second signal conduction module is combined with different frequency signal generators to output local oscillator signals of different frequencies in different time slots (the first local oscillator signal is generated by connecting the mixer and the first frequency signal generator in the downlink time slot, and the second local oscillator signal is generated by connecting the mixer and the second frequency signal generator in the uplink time slot). Compared with using only one frequency signal generator to output local oscillator signals of different frequencies in different time slots, there is no need for complex local oscillator signal output frequency judgment logic, which can reduce processing complexity.

[0011] In one alternative, the second bandpass filter is a dielectric filter, and / or the first bandpass filter is a semiconductor filter or a dielectric filter.

[0012] In one alternative embodiment, the radio frequency unit further includes a power amplifier for amplifying the downlink signal transmitted to the antenna in the downlink time slot to obtain an amplified downlink signal, wherein the frequency band occupied by the downlink signal transmitted to the antenna is the same as the frequency band occupied by the second uplink signal from the antenna; and a second bandpass filter for filtering the amplified downlink signal in the downlink time slot to obtain a filtered downlink signal.

[0013] Based on this, the downlink signal transmitted by the downlink time slot radio frequency unit can be processed by a power amplifier and a second bandpass filter to improve the power of the downlink signal and filter out noise and other noise in the downlink signal.

[0014] In one alternative embodiment, the radio frequency unit further includes a circulator for inputting an amplified downlink signal from the power amplifier to a second bandpass filter in a downlink time slot; or for inputting a second filtered uplink signal from the second bandpass filter to a low-noise amplifier in an uplink time slot.

[0015] In this approach, a circulator is added to the radio frequency unit, which allows the amplified downlink signal from the power amplifier to be unidirectionally transmitted to the second bandpass filter in the downlink time slot without diffracting the downlink signal into other devices and interfering with the first uplink signal received in the downlink time slot. Similarly, in the uplink time slot, the second filtered uplink signal from the second bandpass filter is unidirectionally transmitted to the low-noise amplifier without diffracting the second filtered uplink signal into other devices.

[0016] In one alternative approach, the first signal conduction module is a single-pole double-throw switch.

[0017] Secondly, this application provides a communication device, including an antenna and a radio frequency unit as described in the first aspect connected to the antenna.

[0018] In an alternative embodiment, the communication device may also include a baseband processor connected to the radio frequency unit.

[0019] Thirdly, this application provides a signal processing method applicable to a radio frequency unit as described in the first aspect. The method involves filtering a first uplink signal from an antenna within a downlink time slot to obtain a first filtered uplink signal, wherein the frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal is different from the frequency band occupied by the downlink signal transmitted by the radio frequency unit in the downlink time slot; amplifying the first filtered uplink signal to obtain an amplified first filtered uplink signal; outputting a first local oscillator signal in the downlink time slot, wherein the frequency of the first local oscillator signal is related to the center frequency of the first uplink signal from the antenna; mixing the amplified first filtered uplink signal and the first local oscillator signal to obtain a first zero-IF analog signal; converting the first zero-IF analog signal into a first digital intermediate frequency signal; and processing the first digital intermediate frequency signal.

[0020] In one alternative approach, the method further includes: filtering a second uplink signal from an antenna in an uplink time slot to obtain a second filtered uplink signal, wherein the frequency band occupied by the second uplink signal from the antenna is different from the frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal from the antenna; amplifying the second filtered uplink signal to obtain an amplified second filtered uplink signal; outputting a second local oscillator signal in an uplink time slot, wherein the frequency of the second local oscillator signal is related to the center frequency of the second uplink signal from the antenna; mixing the amplified second filtered uplink signal and the second local oscillator signal to obtain a second zero-IF analog signal; converting the second zero-IF analog signal into a second digital intermediate frequency signal; and processing the second digital intermediate frequency signal.

[0021] In an alternative embodiment, the method further includes: amplifying the downlink signal transmitted to the antenna in a downlink time slot to obtain an amplified downlink signal, wherein the frequency band occupied by the downlink signal transmitted to the antenna is the same as the frequency band occupied by the second uplink signal from the antenna; and filtering the amplified downlink signal in a downlink time slot to obtain a filtered downlink signal.

[0022] These or other aspects of this application will become more apparent from the description of the following embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication scenario provided by an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0024] Figure 2A This paper shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2B This invention provides a schematic diagram of the structure of another network device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a TDD mode time slot is shown;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a radio frequency unit provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a frequency domain resource provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0029] Figure 6A A schematic diagram of a frequency domain resource provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0030] Figure 6B A schematic diagram of a frequency domain resource provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0031] Figure 6C A schematic diagram of a frequency domain resource provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0032] Figure 6D A schematic diagram of a frequency domain resource provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0033] Figure 6E A schematic diagram of a frequency domain resource provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0034] Figure 6F A schematic diagram of a frequency domain resource provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0035] Figure 7 This paper shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 8 This paper shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 9 This paper shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 10 This paper shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 11 This paper shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 12 This paper shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 13 A schematic flowchart of a signal processing method provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to 5G systems, or to future communication systems or other similar communication systems. Furthermore, the technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to cellular links, public land mobile networks (PLMNs), machine-to-machine (M2M) networks, Internet of Things (IoT) networks, or other networks. They can also be applied to links between devices, such as device-to-device (D2D) links. D2D links can also be called sidelinks, which are also referred to as secondary links or auxiliary links. In this application, the above terms all refer to links established between devices of the same type, and their meanings are the same. The so-called "same type of devices" can be links between terminal devices, links between base stations, links between relay nodes, etc., and this application does not limit this. For links between terminal devices, there are D2D links defined in 3GPP Release (Rel) 12 / 13, and V2X links defined by 3GPP for vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-mobile, or vehicle-to-any-entity communication, including Rel-14 / 15. There are also V2X links based on the new radio (NR) system in Rel-18 and later versions.

[0044] refer to Figure 1 This is an application scenario used in the embodiments of this application, or a network architecture used in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 This includes network equipment and terminal equipment, and it should be understood that... Figure 1 The number of terminal devices in the network is not specifically limited, and the network architecture can also include other network devices, such as wireless repeaters and wireless backhaul devices. Figure 1Not shown in the diagram. A network device is an access device that enables a terminal device to wirelessly access a network, and can be a base station. The network device corresponds to different devices in different systems; for example, in a 4th-generation (4G) mobile communication system, it can correspond to an evolved Node B (eNB), and in a 5G system, it can correspond to a generation Node B (gNB). The terminal device can be a cellular phone, smartphone, laptop, handheld communication device, handheld computing device, satellite radio device, global positioning system, personal digital assistant (PDA), and / or any other suitable device for communication on a wireless communication system, and all can connect to the network device.

[0045] This application's embodiments can be applied to uplink signal transmission, downlink signal transmission, and D2D signal transmission. For downlink signal transmission, the transmitting device is a network device, and the corresponding receiving device is a terminal device; for uplink signal transmission, the transmitting device is a terminal device, and the corresponding receiving device is a network device; for D2D signal transmission, both the transmitting and receiving devices are terminal devices. This application's embodiments do not limit the direction of signal transmission.

[0046] Terminal devices can be wireless terminal devices capable of receiving network device scheduling and instruction information. They can be devices providing voice and / or data connectivity to users, handheld devices with wireless connectivity, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. Wireless terminal devices can communicate with one or more core networks or the Internet via a radio access network (e.g., radioaccess network, RAN). They can be mobile terminal devices, such as mobile phones (or "cellular" phones), computers, and data cards. For example, they can be portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices that exchange voice and / or data with the radio access network. Examples include personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, PDAs, tablets, and computers with wireless transceiver capabilities. Wireless terminal equipment can also be referred to as a system, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), remote station, access point (AP), remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, subscriber station (SS), customer premises equipment (CPE), terminal, UE, mobile terminal (MT), etc. Wireless terminal equipment can also be wearable devices and next-generation communication systems, such as terminal equipment in 5G networks, terminal equipment in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs), and terminal equipment in NR communication systems.

[0047] Network equipment is an entity on the network side used to transmit or receive signals, such as a transmission reception point (TRP) or gNB. Network equipment can be used to communicate with mobile devices. Network equipment can be an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), a base transceiver station (BTS) in a global system for mobile communication (GSM) or code division multiple access (CDMA), a base station (NodeB, NB) in wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in long term evolution (LTE), a relay station or access point, or network equipment in vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, and future 5G networks, or network equipment in future evolved PLMNs, or gNodeB / gNB in ​​NR systems, etc. In some deployments, gNB can include a centralized unit (CU) and a DU. The gNB can also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU and DU implement some of the gNB's functions. For example, the CU handles non-real-time protocols and services, such as implementing radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer functions. The DU handles physical layer protocols and real-time services, such as implementing radio link control (RLC), medium access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layer functions. The AAU implements some physical layer processing functions, radio frequency processing, and active antenna-related functions. Since RRC layer information ultimately becomes PHY layer information, or is derived from PHY layer information, in this architecture, higher-layer signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can also be considered as being sent by the DU, or by both the DU and AAU.It is understood that network devices can be one or more of the following: CU nodes, DU nodes, and AAU nodes. Furthermore, a CU can be classified as a network device in the radio access network (RAN) or a network device in the core network (CN); this application does not limit this. Additionally, in the embodiments of this application, the network device provides services to a cell. The terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources (e.g., frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources) used by the cell. This cell can be the cell corresponding to the network device (e.g., a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or a base station corresponding to a small cell. Small cells can include: metro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femtocells, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage area and low transmission power, making them suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services. Furthermore, in other possible cases, the network device can be other devices that provide wireless communication functions for the terminal device. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used by the network device. For ease of description, in the embodiments of this application, the device that provides wireless communication function for the terminal device is referred to as a network device.

[0048] The radio frequency (RF) unit mentioned in this application mainly relates to the internal structure of network devices, wherein the structure of the RF unit typically consists of... Figure 2A It consists of active antenna units (AAU), or Figure 2B The remote radio unit (RRU) is used in this device. The RRU can be connected to an antenna to form a communication device. Additionally, the communication device may include a baseband processor connected to the RRU. Figure 2A and Figure 2B The building baseband unit (BBU) in the application is equivalent to the baseband processor mentioned in this application.

[0049] Currently, 5G NR has two standards: Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD). TDD refers to the time-division multiplexing of the same spectrum to transmit downlink and uplink signals. In the uplink time slot, the user equipment (UE) sends signals to the base station, and in the downlink time slot, the base station sends signals to the UE. (See below.) Figure 3 As shown, D represents the downlink subframe in the downlink time slot, U represents the uplink subframe in the uplink time slot, and S represents the flexible subframe, which can be used in both uplink and downlink time slots. For example, the ratio of uplink to downlink time slots for operator A is 3:7, and the ratio of uplink to downlink time slots for operator A is 2:8. Figure 3 Let's take the example of using S for uplink time slots, with 7 downlink subframes and 2 uplink subframes.

[0050] based on Figure 3 It is known that in TDD mode, downlink time slots account for a large proportion, while uplink performance indicators such as coverage, latency, and capacity are limited. Based on this, this application provides a radio frequency unit to improve uplink coverage while ensuring lower device power consumption.

[0051] like Figure 4 As shown, the radio frequency unit provided in this application can logically include: a transmit link 1, a first receive link 2, and a second receive link 3; the transmit link 1 is used to transmit downlink signals in downlink time slots; the first receive link 2 is used to transmit a second uplink signal in uplink time slots; the second receive link 3 is used to transmit a first uplink signal in downlink time slots; wherein, the frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal is different from the frequency band occupied by the downlink signal transmitted in the downlink time slots, and the frequency band occupied by the second uplink signal is the same as the frequency band occupied by the downlink signal transmitted in the downlink time slots. In practical applications, the frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal can be one or more, which is not specifically limited here.

[0052] It should be noted that high-frequency bands typically have hundreds of megahertz or gigahertz of bandwidth used for mobile communications, and this bandwidth is allocated to multiple operators. Each operator in this band will be allocated one wideband spectrum and one narrowband spectrum. The wideband spectrum operates in TDD mode (i.e., the frequency band where the second uplink signal and the downlink signal are located), while the narrowband spectrum (i.e., the frequency band where the first uplink signal is located) is used for uplink transmission.

[0053] Figure 5 In this configuration, the second uplink signal and the downlink signal are configured in the first frequency domain resource, and the first uplink signal is configured in the second frequency domain resource. The frequency spacing between the first and second frequency domain resources is not specifically defined here. The first frequency domain resource is used for both uplink and downlink transmission in TDD mode, and the second frequency domain resource is used for uplink transmission in the downlink time slot. Downlink transmission can be performed using the downlink signal and / or uplink transmission using the first uplink signal in the downlink time slot, while uplink transmission can be performed using the second uplink signal in the uplink time slot.

[0054] A guard band (also known as an isolation band, primarily to prevent interference between the first and second frequency domain resources) can be set between them. This guard band is not used for data transmission. The guard band can be predefined or configured by network devices via signaling; this application does not impose any restrictions. By setting a guard band, mutual interference between data transmission on the first and second frequency domain resources can be reduced.

[0055] The following sections will explain the first and second frequency domain resources in different scenarios, referring to... Figures 6A to 6F To understand.

[0056] like Figure 6A As shown, the first frequency domain resources of operator 1 and operator 2 are deployed consecutively. The second frequency domain resources of operator 1 are deployed to the left of the first frequency domain resources of operator 1 and are isolated by a guard band. The second frequency domain resources of operator 2 are deployed to the right of the first frequency domain resources of operator 2 and are isolated by a guard band.

[0057] like Figure 6B As shown, the first frequency domain resources of operator 1 and the first frequency domain resources of operator 2 are deployed continuously, and the second frequency domain resources of operator 1 and the second frequency domain resources of operator 2 can also be deployed on one side of the first frequency domain resources of operator 1.

[0058] like Figure 6C As shown, the first frequency domain resources of operator 1 and operator 2 are deployed consecutively. The second frequency domain resources of operator 2 are deployed to the left of the first frequency domain resources of operator 1 and are isolated by a guard band. The second frequency domain resources of operator 1 are deployed to the right of the first frequency domain resources of operator 2 and are isolated by a guard band.

[0059] like Figure 6D As shown, the first frequency domain resources of Operator 1 and Operator 2 are deployed consecutively. The second frequency domain resources of Operator 1 are deployed to the left of the first frequency domain resources of Operator 1 and are isolated by a guard band. The second frequency domain resources of Operator 2 are deployed to the right of the first frequency domain resources of Operator 2 and are isolated by a guard band. The first frequency domain resources of Operator 3 are deployed to the left of the second frequency domain resources of Operator 1, and the second frequency domain resources of Operator 3 are deployed to the left of the first frequency domain resources of Operator 3.

[0060] like Figure 6E As shown, the first frequency domain resources of operator 1, operator 2, and operator 3 are deployed continuously. The second frequency domain resources of operator 1, operator 2, and operator 3 are deployed continuously to the left of the first frequency domain resources of operator 1 and are isolated by a guard band.

[0061] like Figure 6F As shown, the first frequency domain resources of operator 1, operator 2, and operator 3 are deployed consecutively. The second frequency domain resources of operator 3 are deployed to the left of the first frequency domain resources of operator 1 and are isolated by a guard band. The second frequency domain resources of operator 1 and operator 2 are deployed consecutively to the right of the first frequency domain resources of operator 3 and are isolated by a guard band.

[0062] This is merely an illustrative example and does not specifically limit the relationship between the first frequency domain resource and the second frequency domain resource. The first frequency domain resource and the second frequency domain resource can be frequency domain resources with a relatively close frequency interval or frequency domain resources with a relatively far frequency interval, and are not specifically limited here.

[0063] Considering the above Figures 6A to 6F The frequency spacing between the first and second frequency domain resources may be relatively large. This application employs a time-division multiplexing scheme in the network equipment to receive uplink signals from the terminal. Specifically, it can... Figure 3 The uplink time slot only receives the second uplink signal from the terminal. Figure 3 The downlink time slot in the radio frequency unit (RF unit) both transmits downlink signals to the terminal and receives the first uplink signal from the terminal. It should also be noted that the RF unit knows in advance the frequency bands of the first uplink signal, the second uplink signal, and the downlink signal.

[0064] Specifically, the radio frequency unit structure provided in this application is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the radio frequency unit includes: a first bandpass filter 31, a first signal conduction module 21, a low-noise amplifier 20, a mixer 22, a frequency synthesizer 23, a zero-IF analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 24, and a digital intermediate frequency module 25; the first bandpass filter 31 is used to filter the first uplink signal from the antenna in the downlink time slot to obtain a first filtered uplink signal. The frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal is different from the frequency band occupied by the downlink signal transmitted by the radio frequency unit in the downlink time slot (as described above). Figure 5 As shown, the first uplink signal occupies the second frequency domain resources, and the downlink signal occupies the first frequency domain resources; the first signal conduction module 21 is used to connect the low-noise amplifier 20 and the first bandpass filter 31 in the downlink time slot; the low-noise amplifier 20 is used to amplify the first filtered uplink signal to obtain the amplified first filtered uplink signal; the frequency synthesizer 23 is used to output the first local oscillator signal in the downlink time slot, the frequency of the first local oscillator signal being related to the center frequency of the first uplink signal from the antenna; the mixer 22 is used to mix the amplified first filtered uplink signal and the first local oscillator signal (e.g., subtracting the frequency of the amplified first filtered uplink signal from the frequency of the first local oscillator signal) to obtain the first zero intermediate frequency analog signal; the zero intermediate frequency analog-to-digital converter 24 is used to convert the first zero intermediate frequency analog signal into a first digital intermediate frequency signal; the digital intermediate frequency module 25 is used to process the first digital intermediate frequency signal.

[0065] The radio frequency unit may further include a second bandpass filter 12; the second bandpass filter 12 is used to filter the second uplink signal from the antenna in the uplink time slot to obtain a second filtered uplink signal, wherein the frequency band occupied by the second uplink signal from the antenna is different from the frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal from the antenna; the first signal conduction module 21 is also used to connect the low noise amplifier 20 and the second bandpass filter 12 in the uplink time slot; the low noise amplifier 20 is also used to amplify the second filtered uplink signal to obtain an amplified second filtered uplink signal; frequency synthesis Unit 23 is further configured to output a second local oscillator signal in the uplink time slot, the frequency of which is related to the center frequency of the second uplink signal from the antenna; mixer 22 is further configured to perform mixing processing on the amplified second filtered uplink signal and the second local oscillator signal (e.g., subtracting the frequency of the amplified second filtered uplink signal from the frequency of the second local oscillator signal) to obtain a second zero-IF analog signal; zero-IF analog-to-digital converter 24 is further configured to convert the second zero-IF analog signal into a second digital intermediate frequency signal; digital intermediate frequency module 25 is further configured to process the second digital intermediate frequency signal. After the second uplink signal received by the uplink time slot RF unit is processed by the mixer (e.g., by subtracting the frequency of the second uplink signal from the frequency of the second local oscillator signal), the frequency of the signal is reduced to a zero-IF signal. Data processing by the zero-IF analog-to-digital converter can reduce power consumption.

[0066] The radio frequency unit may further include a power amplifier 10; the power amplifier 10 is used to amplify the downlink signal in the downlink time slot to obtain an amplified downlink signal, and the frequency band occupied by the downlink signal transmitted to the antenna is the same as the frequency band occupied by the second uplink signal from the antenna; a second bandpass filter 12 is used to filter the amplified downlink signal in the downlink time slot to obtain a filtered downlink signal. The downlink signal transmitted by the radio frequency unit in the downlink time slot can have its power increased and can filter out noise and other interference in the downlink signal after being processed by the power amplifier and the second bandpass filter.

[0067] Specifically, the RF unit can also be configured with a timer, which is associated with the uplink and downlink time slots of TDD. For example, the frequency synthesizer 23 described above can obtain the timer's arrival at the downlink time slot through its internal register. When the downlink time slot is reached, it outputs the first local oscillator signal; when the uplink time slot is reached, it outputs the second local oscillator signal. This application does not specifically limit the scope here. In another specific embodiment, such as... Figure 8As shown, the frequency synthesizer 23 described above may further include a first frequency signal generator 231 and a second frequency signal generator 232; the first frequency signal generator 231 is used to output a first local oscillator signal in the downlink time slot; the second frequency signal generator 232 is used to output a second local oscillator signal in the uplink time slot; the radio frequency unit also includes a second signal conduction module 32, used to connect the mixer 22 and the first frequency signal generator 231 in the downlink time slot, and connect the mixer 22 and the second frequency signal generator 232 in the uplink time slot. In this method, by combining the second signal conduction module with different frequency signal generators, local oscillator signals of different frequencies are output in different time slots (the first local oscillator signal is generated by connecting the mixer and the first frequency signal generator in the downlink time slot, and the second local oscillator signal is generated by connecting the mixer and the second frequency signal generator in the uplink time slot). Compared with using only one frequency signal generator to output local oscillator signals of different frequencies in different time slots, there is no need for complex local oscillator signal output frequency judgment logic, which can reduce processing complexity.

[0068] The first local oscillator signal frequency can be the same as the center frequency of the first uplink signal. For example, if the center frequency of the first uplink signal is F1, the first local oscillator signal frequency is also F1. Alternatively, the first local oscillator signal frequency can be a frequency value calculated based on the center frequency of the first uplink signal. For example, if the center frequency of the first uplink signal is F1, the first radio frequency signal frequency is F1+ε, where the value of ε is not specifically limited here. The second local oscillator signal frequency can be the same as the center frequency of the second uplink signal. For example, if the center frequency of the second uplink signal is F2, the second local oscillator signal frequency is F2+α, where |α|≤1GHz. This is merely an illustrative example and does not specifically limit the frequencies of the first and second local oscillator signals.

[0069] In this configuration, both the first signal activation module 21 and the second signal activation module 32 can be single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switches. These SPDT switches can obtain the time slot of the timer through an internal register. Based on this, in the downlink time slot, SPDT switch 1 (first signal activation module 21) connects the low-noise amplifier 20 and the first bandpass filter 31, while SPDT switch 2 (second signal activation module 32) connects the mixer 22 and the first frequency signal generator 231. In the uplink time slot, SPDT switch 1 connects the low-noise amplifier 20 and the second bandpass filter 12. In the downlink time slot, SPDT switch 2 connects the mixer 22 and the second frequency signal generator 232.

[0070] Furthermore, the RF unit may also include a circulator 11 for inputting the amplified downlink signal from the power amplifier to the second bandpass filter in the downlink time slot; or for inputting the second filtered uplink signal from the second bandpass filter to the low-noise amplifier in the uplink time slot. In this configuration, the addition of a circulator to the RF unit allows for unidirectional transmission of the amplified downlink signal from the power amplifier to the second bandpass filter in the downlink time slot without diffracting the downlink signal into other devices and interfering with the first uplink signal received in the downlink time slot. Similarly, it allows for unidirectional transmission of the second filtered uplink signal from the second bandpass filter to the low-noise amplifier in the uplink time slot without diffracting the second filtered uplink signal into other devices.

[0071] The digital intermediate frequency module 25, digital-to-analog converter (DAC), power amplifier 10, circulator 11, second bandpass filter 12, and antenna are components involved in the transmission link 1. The digital intermediate frequency module 25, zero-IF analog-to-digital converter 24, mixer 22, frequency synthesizer 23, low-noise amplifier 20, first signal conduction module 21, circulator 11, second bandpass filter 12, and antenna are components involved in the first receiving link 2. The digital intermediate frequency module 25, zero-IF analog-to-digital converter 24, mixer 22, frequency synthesizer 23, low-noise amplifier 20, first signal conduction module 21, first bandpass filter 31, and antenna are components involved in the second receiving link 3.

[0072] Furthermore, the aforementioned first bandpass filter 31 can be combined with the second bandpass filter 12 to form a duplexer, such as... Figure 9 As shown. The second bandpass filter 12 can be a dielectric filter, and the first bandpass filter 31 can be a semiconductor filter or a dielectric filter.

[0073] In this application, while the downlink time slot radio frequency unit transmits the downlink signal, it can also receive the first uplink signal from the terminal based on frequency division duplex (FDD) mode, thereby improving the uplink coverage. Furthermore, after the first uplink signal is processed by a mixer (e.g., by taking the difference between the frequencies of the first uplink signal and the first local oscillator signal), the signal frequency is reduced to a zero-IF signal. Data processing is then performed via a zero-IF analog-to-digital converter (ADC) instead of directly through an radio frequency ADC, which reduces power consumption.

[0074] To save on antenna equipment, the aforementioned first bandpass filter 31 and second bandpass filter 12 can also be connected to a duplexer with 20dB isolation, and connected to the antenna via the duplexer, such as... Figure 10As shown. Based on this, the digital-to-analog converter and the zero-IF analog-to-digital converter 24 can be housed within the RF integrated chip. The power amplifier 10 can also be connected before or after the driver amplifier (DRV) 13 to further amplify the downlink signal, such as... Figure 11 As shown.

[0075] Furthermore, if multiple first uplink signals of different frequencies are received in the downlink time slot, the RF unit can determine the center frequency of each of the multiple first uplink signals and the average value of the multiple center frequencies. For example, if three first uplink signals are received with center frequencies of F1, F2, and F3, the frequency synthesizer can output a first local oscillator signal with a frequency of (F1+F2+F3) / 3 in the downlink time slot. Figure 11 As shown, two low-noise amplifiers are connected to a phase shifter, which in turn is connected to a mixer. This utilizes... Figure 12 This method allows for the reception of two different frequencies of the first uplink signal.

[0076] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application also provide a signal processing method. This method can be applied to... Figures 7-10 The radio frequency unit shown in this embodiment will not be described in detail here. Figure 13 A schematic flowchart of a signal processing method provided in an embodiment of this application is illustrated. The method mainly includes the following steps:

[0077] Step 1301: Filter the first uplink signal from the antenna in the downlink time slot to obtain the first filtered uplink signal. The frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal is different from the frequency band occupied by the downlink signal transmitted by the radio frequency unit in the downlink time slot.

[0078] Step 1302: Amplify the first filtered uplink signal to obtain the amplified first filtered uplink signal.

[0079] Step 1303: Output the first local oscillator signal in the downlink time slot. The frequency of the first local oscillator signal is related to the center frequency of the first uplink signal from the antenna.

[0080] Step 1304: Mix the amplified first filtered uplink signal and the first local oscillator signal to obtain the first zero intermediate frequency analog signal.

[0081] Step 1305: Convert the first zero-IF analog signal into a first digital IF signal.

[0082] Step 1306: Process the first digital intermediate frequency signal.

[0083] In specific implementation, the method further includes: filtering the second uplink signal from the antenna in the uplink time slot to obtain a second filtered uplink signal, wherein the frequency band occupied by the second uplink signal from the antenna is different from the frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal from the antenna; amplifying the second filtered uplink signal to obtain an amplified second filtered uplink signal; outputting a second local oscillator signal in the uplink time slot, wherein the frequency of the second local oscillator signal is related to the center frequency of the second uplink signal from the antenna; mixing the amplified second filtered uplink signal and the second local oscillator signal to obtain a second zero-IF analog signal; converting the second zero-IF analog signal into a second digital intermediate frequency signal; and processing the second digital intermediate frequency signal.

[0084] In specific implementation, the method further includes: amplifying the downlink signal sent to the antenna in the downlink time slot to obtain an amplified downlink signal, wherein the frequency band occupied by the downlink signal sent to the antenna is the same as the frequency band occupied by the second uplink signal from the antenna; and filtering the amplified downlink signal in the downlink time slot to obtain a filtered downlink signal.

[0085] It should be noted that in the description of the embodiments of this application, "at least one" refers to one or more, where "multiple" refers to two or more. Therefore, in the embodiments of this invention, "multiple" can also be understood as "at least two". "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / ", unless otherwise specified, generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship. Furthermore, it should be understood that in the description of this application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used only for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or order.

[0086] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0087] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A radio frequency unit, characterized in that, It includes a first bandpass filter, a first signal conduction module, a low-noise amplifier, a mixer, a frequency synthesizer, a zero-IF analog-to-digital converter, and a digital intermediate frequency module; The first bandpass filter is used to filter the first uplink signal from the antenna in the downlink time slot to obtain a first filtered uplink signal. The frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal is different from the frequency band occupied by the downlink signal transmitted by the radio frequency unit in the downlink time slot. The first signal conduction module is used to connect the low-noise amplifier and the first bandpass filter in the downlink time slot; The low-noise amplifier is used to amplify the first filtered uplink signal to obtain the amplified first filtered uplink signal. The frequency synthesizer is used to output a first local oscillator signal in the downlink time slot, the frequency of which is related to the center frequency of the first uplink signal from the antenna; The mixer is used to mix the amplified first filtered uplink signal and the first local oscillator signal to obtain a first zero intermediate frequency analog signal. The zero-IF analog-to-digital converter is used to convert the first zero-IF analog signal into a first digital intermediate frequency signal; The digital intermediate frequency module is used to process the first digital intermediate frequency signal.

2. The radio frequency unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radio frequency unit also includes a second bandpass filter; The second bandpass filter is used to filter the second uplink signal from the antenna in the uplink time slot to obtain a second filtered uplink signal. The frequency band occupied by the second uplink signal from the antenna is different from the frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal from the antenna. The first signal conduction module is further configured to connect the low-noise amplifier and the second bandpass filter in the uplink time slot; The low-noise amplifier is also used to amplify the second filtered uplink signal to obtain an amplified second filtered uplink signal. The frequency synthesizer is also used to output a second local oscillator signal in the uplink time slot, the frequency of which is related to the center frequency of the second uplink signal from the antenna; The mixer is also used to perform mixing processing on the amplified second filtered uplink signal and the second local oscillator signal to obtain a second zero intermediate frequency analog signal; The zero-IF analog-to-digital converter is also used to convert the second zero-IF analog signal into a second digital intermediate frequency signal; The digital intermediate frequency module is also used to process the second digital intermediate frequency signal.

3. The radio frequency unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The frequency synthesizer includes a first frequency signal generator and a second frequency signal generator. The first frequency signal generator is used to output the first local oscillator signal in the downlink time slot; The second frequency signal generator is used to output the second local oscillator signal in the uplink time slot; The radio frequency unit further includes a second signal conduction module, used to connect the mixer and the first frequency signal generator in the downlink time slot, and to connect the mixer and the second frequency signal generator in the uplink time slot.

4. The radio frequency unit according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The second bandpass filter is a dielectric filter, and / or the first bandpass filter is a semiconductor filter or the dielectric filter.

5. The radio frequency unit according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The radio frequency unit further includes a power amplifier for amplifying the downlink signal transmitted to the antenna in the downlink time slot to obtain an amplified downlink signal. The downlink signal transmitted to the antenna occupies the same frequency band as the second uplink signal from the antenna. The second bandpass filter is also used to filter the amplified downlink signal in the downlink time slot to obtain a filtered downlink signal.

6. The radio frequency unit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The radio frequency unit further includes a circulator for inputting the amplified downlink signal from the power amplifier to the second bandpass filter in the downlink time slot; Alternatively, it can be used to input the second filtered uplink signal from the second bandpass filter to the low-noise amplifier in the uplink time slot.

7. The radio frequency unit according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first signal conduction module is a single-pole double-throw switch.

8. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes an antenna and a radio frequency unit connected to the antenna as described in any one of claims 1-7.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes a baseband processor connected to the radio frequency unit.

10. A signal processing method, characterized in that, Applied to any of the radio frequency units described in claims 1-7, the method comprises: The first uplink signal from the antenna is filtered during the downlink time slot to obtain a first filtered uplink signal. The frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal is different from the frequency band occupied by the downlink signal transmitted by the radio frequency unit in the downlink time slot. The first filtered uplink signal is amplified to obtain the amplified first filtered uplink signal. A first local oscillator signal is output in the downlink time slot, and the frequency of the first local oscillator signal is related to the center frequency of the first uplink signal from the antenna; The amplified first filtered uplink signal and the first local oscillator signal are mixed to obtain the first zero intermediate frequency analog signal. The first zero-IF analog signal is converted into a first digital IF signal; The first digital intermediate frequency signal is processed.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second uplink signal from the antenna is filtered in the uplink time slot to obtain a second filtered uplink signal. The frequency band occupied by the second uplink signal from the antenna is different from the frequency band occupied by the first uplink signal from the antenna. The second filtered uplink signal is amplified to obtain the amplified second filtered uplink signal. A second local oscillator signal is output in the uplink time slot, and the frequency of the second local oscillator signal is related to the center frequency of the second uplink signal from the antenna. The amplified second filtered uplink signal and the second local oscillator signal are mixed to obtain the second zero intermediate frequency analog signal; The second zero-IF analog signal is converted into a second digital IF signal; The second digital intermediate frequency signal is processed.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: The downlink signal transmitted to the antenna is amplified in the downlink time slot to obtain an amplified downlink signal. The frequency band occupied by the downlink signal transmitted to the antenna is the same as the frequency band occupied by the second uplink signal from the antenna. The amplified downlink signal is filtered in the downlink time slot to obtain a filtered downlink signal.

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