Vehicle-mounted communication method, device and system

Abstract

The invention discloses a vehicle-mounted communication method, device and system, which are used for reducing the influence of a signal shielding effect on the communication quality of a user in a vehicle and improving the use experience of the user. In the method, in a downlink, a repeater processes a first cellular signal received by at least one first antenna outside a vehicle into a second cellular signal, and sends the second cellular signal to a mobile terminal in the vehicle through a second antenna in the vehicle; and / or, in an uplink, the repeater processes a third cellular signal received by the second antenna into a fourth cellular signal, and sends the fourth cellular signal to a network device through the at least one first antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a vehicle-mounted communication method, apparatus and system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, due to the higher demands for heat insulation and privacy in high-end vehicles (or premium vehicles), certain glass components are often designed with silver-plated glass or smart glass, such as electrochromic (EC) or liquid crystal (LC) smart glass. These designs use glass containing highly conductive materials, which, combined with the vehicle's metal body, can create a signal shielding effect on wireless communication for users inside the vehicle, thus affecting communication quality.

[0003] Taking cellular communication as an example, when a vehicle is traveling in a weak network environment, the poor cellular signal of the mobile terminal devices used by users inside the vehicle can lead to increased communication latency, communication interruptions, and even dropped calls. This is especially true for users inside the vehicle near the aforementioned glass, where the signal shielding effect causes a more pronounced decrease in signal strength, speed, and latency, severely impacting the user experience.

[0004] Therefore, how to reduce the impact of signal shielding on the communication quality of users inside the vehicle remains an important problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a vehicle-mounted communication method, apparatus, and system for reducing the impact of signal shielding effects on the communication quality of users inside the vehicle and improving the user experience.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a vehicle-mounted communication method, which can be implemented by a repeater installed on the vehicle. This repeater can be used to enhance wireless signals within the vehicle. For example, in the downlink, the repeater processes a first cellular signal received by at least one first antenna outside the vehicle into a second cellular signal, and transmits the second cellular signal to a mobile terminal inside the vehicle via a second antenna inside the vehicle; and / or, in the uplink, the repeater processes a third cellular signal received by the second antenna into a fourth cellular signal, and transmits the fourth cellular signal to a network device via the at least one first antenna. Exemplarily, the at least one first antenna is installed outside the vehicle's cabin, and the second antenna is installed inside the vehicle's cabin. The repeater can relay signals between the at least one first antenna and the second antenna to enhance the signal within the vehicle's cabin.

[0007] By using the methods described above, adding an onboard cellular repeater to the vehicle can improve the signal strength inside the vehicle and ensure good cellular communication quality for vehicle users.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the repeater determining that the target component on the vehicle is in a closed state; the repeater performing relay of the cellular signal between the at least one first antenna and the second antenna.

[0009] By using the above method, repeaters can be selectively turned on or off based on the status of target components of the vehicle, thereby reducing vehicle energy consumption while ensuring cellular communication quality. For example, the target component may include at least one of the following: a front windshield; a rear windshield; a driver's side door; a passenger side door; and a rear door.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the repeater includes an amplifier, wherein, in the downlink, the amplifier is used to amplify the first cellular signal into a second cellular signal; and in the uplink, the amplifier is used to amplify the third cellular signal into a fourth cellular signal.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: in either the downlink or the uplink, determining a gain compression amount of the amplifier based on the input power and output power of the amplifier; and controlling the gain of the amplifier to remain at a first gain based on the gain compression amount of the amplifier.

[0012] By using the above method to simultaneously detect both input and output power for gain control, the gain control is more accurate compared to single-ended detection, and the circuit can be protected more effectively.

[0013] In one possible implementation, determining the gain compression of the amplifier based on the input power and output power of the amplifier includes: determining a second gain of the amplifier based on the difference between the input power and output power of the amplifier; and determining the gain compression of the amplifier based on the difference between the first gain and the second gain.

[0014] In one possible implementation, in either the downlink or the uplink, the amplifier includes an amplification circuit and a gain control circuit, the gain control circuit being located downstream of the amplification circuit, wherein controlling the gain of the amplifier to remain at a first gain based on the gain compression of the amplifier includes: reducing the gain corresponding to the gain control circuit based on the gain compression of the amplifier, so as to control the gain of the amplifier to remain at the first gain.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the repeater further includes a first coupler and a second coupler, the first coupler being connected to the input terminal of the amplifier and the second coupler being connected to the output terminal of the amplifier. The method further includes: the repeater detecting the input power of the amplifier through the first coupler; or, the repeater detecting the output power of the amplifier through the second coupler.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the repeater further includes a limiting circuit, wherein the limiting circuit is connected in series with the amplifier and located upstream of the amplifier's input, for limiting the signal amplitude of the first cellular signal input to the amplifier, and / or for limiting the signal amplitude of the third cellular signal input to the amplifier.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the at least one first antenna is located inside the fender of the vehicle.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the second antenna is located inside the vehicle's cabin and faces into the cabin.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the second antenna is located in the rear center aisle of the cabin.

[0020] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a vehicle-mounted communication device, comprising: a signal processing unit, configured to, in the downlink, process a first cellular signal received by at least one first antenna outside the vehicle into a second cellular signal, and transmit the second cellular signal to a mobile terminal inside the vehicle via a second antenna inside the vehicle; and / or, in the uplink, process a third cellular signal received by the second antenna into a fourth cellular signal, and transmit the fourth cellular signal to a network device via the first antenna.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the signal processing unit is further configured to: determine that the target component on the vehicle is in a closed state; and perform relaying of cellular signals between the at least one first antenna and the second antenna.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the target component may include at least one of the following: a front window; a rear window; a driver's side door; a passenger side door; and a rear door.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the signal processing unit includes an amplifier, wherein, in the downlink, the amplifier is used to amplify the first cellular signal into a second cellular signal; and in the uplink, the amplifier is used to amplify the third cellular signal into a fourth cellular signal.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the signal processing unit is configured to: determine the gain compression amount of the amplifier based on the input power and output power of the amplifier in either the downlink or the uplink; and control the gain of the amplifier to remain at a first gain based on the gain compression amount of the amplifier.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the signal processing unit is specifically configured to: determine a second gain of the amplifier based on the difference between the input power and the output power of the amplifier; and determine a gain compression amount of the amplifier based on the difference between the first gain and the second gain.

[0026] In one possible implementation, in either the downlink or the uplink, the amplifier includes an amplification circuit and a gain control circuit, the gain control circuit being located downstream of the amplification circuit, wherein the signal processing unit is specifically configured to: reduce the gain corresponding to the gain control circuit according to the gain compression amount of the amplifier, so as to control the gain of the amplifier to remain at the first gain.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the device further includes a first coupler and a second coupler, the first coupler being connected to the input terminal of the amplifier and the second coupler being connected to the output terminal of the amplifier, the signal processing unit being further configured to: detect the input power of the amplifier via the first coupler; or, detect the output power of the amplifier via the second coupler.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the device further includes a limiting circuit, wherein the limiting circuit is connected in series with the amplifier and located upstream of the input of the amplifier, for limiting the signal amplitude of the first cellular signal input to the amplifier, and / or for limiting the signal amplitude of the third cellular signal input to the amplifier.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the at least one first antenna is located inside the fender of the vehicle.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the second antenna is located inside the vehicle's cabin and faces into the cabin.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the second antenna is located in the rear center aisle of the cabin.

[0032] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a vehicle-mounted communication system, comprising: at least one first antenna located outside the vehicle; a second antenna located inside the vehicle; a repeater configured to process a first cellular signal received by the at least one first antenna into a second cellular signal in the downlink, and transmit the second cellular signal to a mobile terminal inside the vehicle via the second antenna; and / or, to process a third cellular signal received by the second antenna into a fourth cellular signal in the uplink, and transmit the fourth cellular signal to a network device via the first antenna.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the repeater is further configured to: determine that a target component on the vehicle is in a closed state; and perform relaying of cellular signals between the at least one first antenna and the second antenna.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the target component includes at least one of the following: a front window glass; a rear window glass; a driver's side door; a passenger side door; and a rear door.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the repeater includes an amplifier, wherein, in the downlink, the amplifier is used to amplify the first cellular signal into a second cellular signal; and in the uplink, the amplifier is used to amplify the third cellular signal into a fourth cellular signal.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the repeater further includes a first detection module and a second detection module, wherein, in either the downlink or the uplink, the first power detection module is used to acquire the input power of the amplifier, and the second power detection module is used to acquire the output power of the amplifier; the repeater is also used to determine the gain compression of the amplifier based on the input power and output power of the amplifier; and to control the gain of the amplifier to remain at a first gain based on the gain compression of the amplifier.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the repeater is used to: determine a second gain of the amplifier based on the difference between the input power and the output power of the amplifier; and determine a gain compression of the amplifier based on the difference between the first gain and the second gain.

[0038] In one possible implementation, in either the downlink or the uplink, the amplifier includes an amplification circuit and a gain control circuit, the gain control circuit being located downstream of the amplification circuit, wherein the repeater is configured to: reduce the gain corresponding to the gain control circuit according to the gain compression of the amplifier, so as to control the gain of the amplifier to remain at a first gain.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the repeater further includes a first coupler and a second coupler, the first coupler being connected to the input of the amplifier and the second coupler being connected to the output of the amplifier, wherein the repeater is further configured to: detect the input power of the amplifier via the first coupler; or, detect the output power of the amplifier via the second coupler.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the repeater further includes a limiting circuit, wherein the limiting circuit is connected in series with the amplifier and located upstream of the amplifier's input, for limiting the signal amplitude of the first cellular signal input to the amplifier, and / or for limiting the signal amplitude of the third cellular signal input to the amplifier.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the at least one first antenna is located inside the vehicle fender.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the second antenna is located inside the vehicle's cabin and faces into the cabin.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the second antenna is located in the rear center aisle of the cabin.

[0044] In one possible implementation, the first antenna and / or the second antenna are planar inverted-F antennas.

[0045] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a repeater including a processor coupled to a memory: the processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in the memory to cause the device to perform the method as described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0046] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a vehicle including the in-vehicle communication system as described in the third aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0047] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a readable storage medium including a program or instructions that, when executed, perform the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0048] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0049] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a terminal device including units for implementing the method described in the first aspect and any possible design of the first aspect. For example, the terminal device includes, but is not limited to: intelligent transportation equipment (such as automobiles, ships, drones, trains, freight trucks, etc.), intelligent manufacturing equipment (such as robots, industrial equipment, intelligent logistics, intelligent factories, etc.), and intelligent terminals (mobile phones, computers, tablets, PDAs, desktop computers, headphones, speakers, wearable devices, in-vehicle equipment, etc.).

[0050] Based on the implementations provided in the above aspects, the embodiments of this application can be further combined to provide more implementations.

[0051] The technical effects that can be achieved by any possible implementation of any of the second to eighth aspects above can be described with reference to the technical effects that can be achieved by any possible implementation of the first aspect above, and the repetitions will not be discussed. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 An exemplary schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in this application is shown; Figure 2 An exemplary schematic diagram illustrates a possible application scenario of this application for a vehicle; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an in-vehicle communication system according to an embodiment of this application is shown as an example; Figure 4 An exemplary schematic diagram of the vehicle communication method according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figures 5a-5c A schematic diagram illustrating the deployment location of the antenna according to an embodiment of this application is provided. Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating the enabling principle of a repeater according to an embodiment of this application is provided. Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a repeater according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 8 An exemplary schematic diagram of the power detection method according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 9 A schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a repeater according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 10 An exemplary schematic diagram of the power detection principle based on a coupler according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 11 A schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a repeater according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 12 An exemplary schematic diagram of a vehicle-mounted communication device according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 13 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the structure of another vehicle-mounted communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The following is an introduction to the terms and nouns used in this application.

[0054] 1. Silver-plated glass: Silver-plated glass refers to glass with one or more layers of silver plated inside or on the outer surface, such as double-silver or triple-silver glass, with the remainder being metallic nickel-chromium or metal compounds (such as silicon nitride or titanium dioxide). Silver-plated glass maintains visible light transmittance while having a lower heat transfer coefficient and better thermal insulation.

[0055] 2. Smart glass: Depending on the control methods and principles, smart glass can switch between transparent and opaque states through various means such as electronic control, temperature control, light control, and pressure control. Due to various limitations, most common smart glass currently available is electronically controlled, such as electrochromic (EC) smart glass or liquid crystal (LC) smart glass. These are new types of special optoelectronic glass products with a laminated structure, where EC or LC materials are composited between two layers of glass and bonded together under high temperature and pressure. The transparency and opacity of the glass are controlled by the on / off state of the current.

[0056] 3. Gain compression: When an amplifier operates in the linear region, its gain is constant. As the input power increases, power compression occurs when the increase in output power is not equal to the increase in input signal power. Gain compression happens when the amplifier's input power increases to the point that it reduces the amplifier's gain and causes a non-linear increase in output power.

[0057] The technology provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as satellite communication systems, high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication systems, and non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); for example, integrated communication and navigation (ICAN) systems, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), and ultra-dense low-Earth orbit satellite communication systems. The communication systems used in this application can be integrated with terrestrial communication systems. These terrestrial communication systems can be, for example, fourth-generation (4G) communication systems (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth-generation (5G) communication systems (e.g., new radio (NR) systems), and sixth-generation (6G) communication systems.

[0058] In a communication system, a network element can send signals to or receive signals from another network element. These signals can include information, signaling, or data. The term "network element" can also be replaced by an entity, network entity, device, communication equipment, communication module, node, communication node, etc. This application uses a network element as an example for description.

[0059] For example, a communication system may include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The network device can send downlink data to the terminal device, and / or the terminal device can send uplink data to the network device. Furthermore, it is understood that if the communication system includes multiple terminal devices, these terminal devices can also exchange data; that is, both the data sending network element and the data receiving network element can be terminal devices. Similarly, if the communication system includes multiple network devices, these network devices can also exchange data; that is, both the data sending network element and the data receiving network element can be network devices.

[0060] Figure 1 This illustration shows an architectural diagram of a communication system provided in this application. The communication system may include at least one network device (such as...). Figure 1 110a, 110b) and at least one terminal device (such as Figure 1(Referring to 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, 120e, and 120f). It should be understood that this communication system may include more or fewer network devices or terminal devices. Network devices or terminal devices can be hardware, functionally defined software, or a combination of both. For example... Figure 1 As shown, network device 110a can send downlink data to terminal devices 120a, 120b, and 120c, and can also receive uplink data sent by terminal devices 120a, 120b, and 120c. Furthermore, terminal devices 120a / 120c can form a communication system with terminal device 120b. For example, terminal devices 120a / 120c can be mobile terminals of users within terminal device 120b, and can send data to terminal device 120b, and vice versa. Alternatively, terminal devices 120d, 120e, and 120f can also form a communication system; for example, terminal device 120d can send data to terminal device 120e or terminal device 120f. It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, network devices and terminal devices can communicate through other devices or network elements; for example, network device 110a can send downlink data to terminal devices 120c, 120d, etc. through network device 110b.

[0061] The network device in this application embodiment can be a device deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices, and can also be called a base station or RAN node (or device). The network device can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), relay stations, or access points. Examples of access network devices include: evolved node B (eNB or eNodeB), radio network controller (RNC), node B (NB), basestation controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved NodeB, or home Node B, HNB), baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP) in a wireless fidelity (WIFI) system, wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP) or transmission reception point (TRP), satellite, drone, etc. The network device can also be a next-generation NodeB (gNB), TRP, or TP in a 5G system, or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system. Furthermore, the network device can also be a network node constituting a gNB or TP, such as a BBU or distributed unit (DU). Alternatively, the network device can also be a device performing network-side functions in a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication system, an Internet of Things (IoT) communication system, a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication system, or other communication systems. The network device can also be a next-generation base station in a 6th-generation (6G) mobile communication system or a base station in a future mobile communication system. In communication systems employing different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with network device functions may differ; the embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the network device.

[0062] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0063] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called an open centralized unit (O-CU) or an open CU, DU can also be called an open distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open centralized unit control plane (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open centralized unit user plane (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open radio unit (O-RU). For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0064] The terminal device in this application embodiment may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), access terminal, subscriber unit (SU), user station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device, etc. It is a device that provides voice or data connectivity to a user, and may also be an Internet of Things (IoT) device. For example, terminal devices include handsets with wireless communication capabilities, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, computer devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, etc. For example, some terminal devices currently available include: mobile phones, smartphones, cellular phones, wireless data cards, personal digital assistants (PDAs), computers, tablets, laptops, handheld computers, laptop computers, machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices (such as smartwatches, smart bracelets, pedometers, etc.), in-vehicle devices (such as cars, bicycles, electric vehicles, airplanes, ships, trains, high-speed trains, etc.), virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, smart home devices (such as refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), smart robots, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, and smart cities. Wireless terminals in a city, or wireless terminals in a smart home, or flying devices (e.g., intelligent robots, hot air balloons, drones, airplanes), etc. Terminal devices can also be other devices with terminal functions; for example, a terminal device can also be a device that performs terminal functions in D2D communication.

[0065] In this embodiment of the application, the functions of the terminal device can also be performed by modules (such as chips or modems) in the terminal device, or by a device containing the functions of the terminal device.

[0066] In one embodiment, the aforementioned terminal device can be implemented as a means of transportation, particularly a means of transportation with a cabin, such as: vehicles (e.g., autonomous vehicles, intelligent vehicles, electric vehicles, buses, digital vehicles, or coaches), ships (e.g., passenger ships, cargo ships, ferries, cruise ships, dredgers, barges, bulk carriers, or coal carriers), airplanes (e.g., passenger airplanes, cargo airplanes, helicopters, agricultural machinery, forestry aircraft, aerial surveying aircraft, medical evacuation aircraft, sightseeing aircraft, or weather aircraft), subways, high-speed trains, regular trains, light rail, submarines, rockets, satellites, space stations, etc. In another embodiment, the cabin of the aforementioned means of transportation may also include another terminal device, such as a mobile phone, smartphone, cellular phone, tablet computer, or other mobile terminal device.

[0067] Taking vehicles as an example, such as Figure 2 The illustration shows a possible application scenario for a vehicle according to this application. Users can sit in the front driver's seat and in the rear seats, and users inside the vehicle (including the driver and / or non-drivers) can use mobile terminal devices to communicate with the outside world. For example, the driver can use a mobile terminal device to communicate with an external network device for navigation. Or, for example, a non-driver can use a mobile terminal device to communicate with an external network device for internet access or cellular calls.

[0068] It should be understood that Figure 2 This example illustrating the use of a mobile terminal by a user inside a vehicle is merely illustrative and does not constitute any limitation. Other embodiments may also include scenarios where a user leaves their mobile terminal device inside the vehicle cabin; this application does not specifically limit this. Furthermore, Figure 2 The vehicles mentioned may include, but are not limited to: pure electric vehicles (PEV / BEV), hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), range-extended electric vehicles (REEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), new energy vehicles (NEV), hydrogen-powered vehicles, or gasoline-powered vehicles, and other types of vehicles.

[0069] Among these factors, the high demands of vehicle users for heat insulation and privacy, Figure 2 Some or all of the glass components in a vehicle can utilize the silver-plated glass or dimming glass design described earlier. However, because these silver-plated or dimming glasses contain highly conductive materials, combined with the vehicle's metal body, they can create a signal shielding effect on wireless communication (such as cellular communication) for users inside the vehicle, thus affecting communication quality. For example, users inside the vehicle near silver-plated or dimming glass will experience signal degradation, reduced speed, and decreased latency, severely impacting their user experience. Furthermore, when the vehicle is in a weak network environment, the cellular signal of the mobile devices used by users inside the vehicle will be even weaker, leading to increased communication latency, communication interruptions, and even dropped calls.

[0070] Currently, the industry commonly uses the following solutions to address the impact of vehicle component materials on the quality of wireless communication for in-vehicle users: (1) By partially removing the silver plating from the glass (e.g., car window glass) or limiting the size of the EC dimming area, a signal transmission channel with less attenuation can be provided for wireless signals outside the vehicle. However, this design can only reduce the attenuation effect and cannot improve the signal quality. Furthermore, this design has different effects on wireless signals from different directions of arrival in different areas, which can lead to unstable wireless signals for users inside the vehicle.

[0071] (2) Set up in-car Wi-Fi. However, using in-car Wi-Fi can only optimize the wireless network signal in the car, and cannot solve the problem of weak wireless cellular signal.

[0072] (3) Using an in-vehicle digital communication solution, the radio frequency signal is converted into a digital signal using the technology of converting analog signals into digital signals. However, the overall system components on which the in-vehicle digital communication solution relies are numerous and complex, and it involves complex software implementation, resulting in a large overall complexity of the solution.

[0073] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a vehicle-mounted communication method, apparatus, and system to reduce the impact of signal shielding effects on the wireless communication quality of users inside the vehicle, thereby improving the user experience. The method and apparatus are based on the same technical concept. Since the principles by which the method and apparatus solve problems are similar, implementations of the apparatus and method can be mutually referenced, and repeated details will not be repeated. Furthermore, in the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between the various embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0074] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0075] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the priority or importance of multiple objects. For example, "first antenna" and "second antenna" are only used to distinguish different antennas, and do not indicate that the two antennas have different priorities or importance.

[0076] In the embodiments of this application, Figure 2 An onboard communication system can be deployed on the vehicle shown, such as Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle-mounted communication system may include at least one first antenna, a second antenna, and a repeater. The at least one first antenna is located outside the vehicle, specifically outside the vehicle's cabin, and can be used to receive wireless signals from outside the cabin (e.g., other vehicles, infrastructure, pedestrians, networks, etc.), and / or transmit wireless signals outside the cabin. The second antenna is located inside the vehicle, specifically inside the vehicle's cabin, and can be used to receive wireless signals from inside the cabin, and / or transmit wireless signals inside the cabin. Both the at least one first antenna and the second antenna can be connected to the repeater, which can be used to relay wireless signals between the at least one first antenna and the second antenna. For example, in the downlink, the repeater can relay the wireless signal received by the at least one first antenna outside the vehicle to the second antenna inside the vehicle; in the uplink, the repeater can relay the wireless signal received by the second antenna inside the vehicle to the at least one first antenna outside the vehicle. The downlink refers to the communication link from a network device outside the vehicle to a mobile terminal inside the vehicle, and the uplink refers to the communication link from a mobile terminal inside the vehicle to a network device outside the vehicle.

[0077] In one example, taking vehicular cellular communication as an example, the aforementioned at least one first antenna, second antenna, and repeater can all be cellular signal-based devices, and the repeater can be used to relay cellular signals between at least the first antenna and the second antenna. Figure 4As shown, in the downlink, the repeater can process a first cellular signal received by at least one external first antenna on the vehicle into a second cellular signal, and transmit the second cellular signal to a mobile terminal inside the vehicle via a second antenna inside the vehicle. And / or, in the uplink, the repeater can process a third cellular signal received by the second antenna inside the vehicle from a mobile terminal inside the vehicle into a fourth cellular signal, and transmit the fourth cellular signal to a network device (e.g., a base station) via at least one first antenna.

[0078] It should be understood that Figures 3-4 This is merely an example of the transmission links for vehicle communication systems and cellular signals, and does not constitute any limitation on antenna location and type, repeater structure, location and function, etc.

[0079] In one embodiment, the aforementioned at least one first antenna and / or second antenna can be a planar inverted-f antenna (PIFA) and can be deployed in a location on the vehicle where signal shielding effects are relatively weak. For example, the aforementioned at least one first antenna can be located inside the fender of the vehicle, and the second antenna can be located in the center aisle of the rear (or second-row) passenger compartment. Figure 5a As shown, there are two external first antennas, which can be arranged on the inside of the front wheel fenders of the vehicle, for example, symmetrically arranged on the inside of the front wheel fenders. Or as... Figure 5b and Figure 5c As shown, taking a vehicle with two rows of seats as an example, the rear central aisle is located in the middle of the rear footwell, connecting the middle of the front seats (including the driver and front passenger seats) and the middle of the rear seats, and the height of the central aisle is less than or equal to the seat height. In an optional embodiment, the second antenna faces inward into the cabin. Therefore, the isolation between the internal and external antennas can be improved using the vehicle body sheet metal, while ensuring that the external antenna can receive signals from outside the vehicle well, and the internal antenna can receive signals from inside the vehicle well.

[0080] It should be understood that Figures 5a-5c This is merely an example of the location of built-in and external antennas and does not constitute any limitation.

[0081] Furthermore, the repeater can be deployed in any location on the vehicle that facilitates the connection of the first antenna and the second antenna. For example, the repeater can be deployed at the front of the vehicle or on the chassis of the vehicle. This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0082] In one implementation, the repeater can also acquire the status of other components or controllers of the vehicle, so as to selectively control the activation and deactivation (or hibernation) of its own functions in combination with the acquired status information, thereby reducing the vehicle's energy consumption.

[0083] like Figure 6 As shown, the repeater may include a control module that can control the repeater to turn on / off. Specifically, for example, the repeater's control module can acquire the status information of a target component on the vehicle and control the repeater's function to turn on or off based on this information. For instance, if the repeater's control module determines that the target component on the vehicle is in a closed state, the control module can turn on / enable the repeater, causing it to relay cellular signals between at least one first antenna and a second antenna. In the downlink, the repeater processes the first cellular signal received by the at least one external first antenna on the vehicle into a second cellular signal and transmits this second cellular signal to a mobile terminal inside the vehicle via the second antenna built into the vehicle; and / or, in the uplink, the repeater processes the third cellular signal received by the second antenna from the mobile terminal inside the vehicle into a fourth cellular signal and transmits this fourth cellular signal to a network device outside the vehicle via the at least one first antenna. Alternatively, for example, if the repeater's control module determines that the target component on the vehicle is in an open state, the control module can control the repeater to go into sleep or turn off, thereby stopping the relay of cellular signals between at least one first antenna and a second antenna.

[0084] For example, the target component may include at least one of the following: a front window; a rear window; a driver's side door; a passenger side door; and a rear door. Taking the rear window as an example, when the rear window is closed, the window and the vehicle body form a sealed space (i.e., a sealed cabin), resulting in strong signal shielding effects on the cellular signal inside the cabin and poor cellular signal strength. In this case, the control module can activate / enable the repeater, which relays the cellular signal between at least one first antenna and one second antenna, enhancing the cellular signal strength inside the vehicle and ensuring the user's cellular communication quality, thus improving the user experience. When the rear window is open, the signal inside the vehicle is less affected by the glass material, and the signal shielding effect has a weaker impact on the cellular signal of the user inside the vehicle. In this case, the control module can control the repeater to go into hibernation or shut down, i.e., stop relaying the cellular signal between at least one first antenna and one second antenna, saving vehicle energy consumption.

[0085] certainly, Figure 6This is merely an illustrative example of the control repeater's operating state and does not constitute any limitation. In specific implementations, the target component may also include onboard sensors, such as infrared sensors or cameras installed in the cabin, or position sensors. With user authorization, the infrared sensors installed in the cabin can be used to detect whether a real user is present in the target seat within the vehicle cabin. The repeater's control module can also activate / enable the repeater based on the detection result to perform cellular signal relay between at least one first antenna and one second antenna. For example, if the target seat is a seat near the vehicle's silvered or dimming glass, and a real user is present in that target seat, the control module can activate / enable the repeater to perform cellular signal relay between at least one first antenna and one second antenna, thereby enhancing the cellular communication quality for the real user in that target seat. Conversely, if the target seat is not present, the repeater can be controlled to go into sleep or be turned off to reduce vehicle energy consumption.

[0086] Alternatively, with user authorization, in-cabin cameras can be used to detect whether a user in the vehicle cabin is using a mobile device. This includes detecting whether the user is holding the mobile device, viewing its screen, making cellular calls, or using navigation. If the control module determines that the user is using a mobile device, it can activate / enable a repeater to relay the cellular signal between at least one first antenna and one second antenna, thereby enhancing the cellular communication quality for the human user in the target seat. Conversely, if the user is not using a mobile device, the control module can control the repeater to go into sleep mode or turn it off to reduce vehicle energy consumption.

[0087] Alternatively, with user authorization, the location sensor can be used to detect the vehicle's location. If the vehicle is in a weak network environment such as a tunnel, the control module can activate / enable the repeater to relay the cellular signal between at least one first antenna and a second antenna, thereby enhancing the cellular communication quality for users inside the vehicle. Conversely, the repeater can be controlled to go into sleep or be turned off to reduce the vehicle's energy consumption.

[0088] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, the control module of the repeater can communicate directly with the target component and obtain status information from the target component. Alternatively, the repeater can also indirectly obtain the status information of the target component from a related controller, such as obtaining the status information of the target component from the intelligent driving domain controller or the area controller. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the specific implementation of the target component or the method of obtaining the status information of the target component. In specific implementation, the type and number of target components associated with the switching of the working state of the repeater are not limited to one. In other embodiments, the control module can also be a device independent of the repeater. For example, the control module can be integrated into the intelligent driving domain controller or the area controller of the vehicle. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the specific implementation of the control module.

[0089] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the structure of the repeater and the implementation details of the vehicle communication method of the embodiments of this application are described below by way of example.

[0090] In this embodiment of the application, the repeater may include an amplifier, which may include an amplification circuit for amplifying a first cellular signal into a second cellular signal in the downlink; and / or amplifying a third cellular signal into a fourth cellular signal in the uplink, so as to enhance the cellular signal in the vehicle and improve the quality of in-vehicle cellular communication.

[0091] The amplifier can be a device with automatic gain control (AGC) function. In either the downlink or uplink, the repeater can determine the gain compression of the amplifier based on the input power and output power of the amplifier; and control the amplifier's gain to remain at the first gain based on the gain compression.

[0092] As an example, the first gain can be, for instance, the original gain of the amplifier circuit. The repeater can determine the amplifier's second gain (also known as the current gain) at the current moment based on the difference between the amplifier's input power and output power; and determine the gain compression of the amplifier based on the difference between the first and second gains. Thus, automatic gain control of the amplifier is performed based on the gain compression to protect the amplifier circuit. Therefore, the amplifier circuit is protected through more accurate gain control.

[0093] In one example, such as Figure 7As shown, in either the downlink or uplink, the repeater's amplifier may include an amplification circuit and a gain control circuit, with the gain control circuit located downstream of the amplification circuit. The aforementioned first gain can be the original gain of the amplification circuit, and the gain control circuit is an adjustable attenuation circuit (or an adjustable attenuator). The repeater's control module can detect the amplifier's input power and output power in either the uplink or downlink, determine the amplifier's second gain based on the difference between the amplifier's input power and output power, and then determine the amplifier's gain compression based on the difference between the first gain and the second gain, so as to perform automatic gain control of the amplifier based on this gain compression.

[0094] It should be understood that, for ease of distinction, Figure 7 In this implementation, the amplifier in the downlink is referred to as amplifier 1, and the amplifier in the uplink is referred to as amplifier 2. Amplifier 1 may include amplifier circuit 1 and gain control circuit 1, and amplifier 2 may include amplifier circuit 2 and gain control circuit 2. This does not constitute any limitation on the structure of the amplifier. In specific implementations, amplifier 1 and amplifier 2 may be the same amplifier, and amplifier circuit 1 and amplifier circuit 2 may be different branches of that amplifier. In optional embodiments, the amplifier circuit of the repeater may also be a multi-stage circuit.

[0095] When performing power detection, such as Figure 8 As shown, in the uplink control of case (1) or the downlink control of case (2), the input power detection position is located at the input terminal of the amplifier circuit, and the output power detection position is located at the output terminal of the gain control circuit. The original gain of the amplifier circuit is a fixed value. Considering the gain compression characteristics of the amplifier circuit, the gain control circuit is designed as an adjustable attenuator circuit. The corresponding gain can be adjusted / controlled by the repeater's control module so as to keep the overall gain of the amplifier circuit and the gain control circuit at the original gain of the amplifier circuit. When performing gain control, the repeater's control module can execute... Figure 8 The method is shown below: S801: The control module performs input / output power detection in the uplink or downlink.

[0096] S802: The control module calculates the difference between the input power and the output power, simply referred to as the power difference. This power difference is the current gain of the amplifier, denoted as the second gain. If the original gain (first gain) equals (=) this power difference, proceed to S803. If the original gain is not equal to (≠) the power difference, for example, original gain - power difference = X dB, then proceed to S804. This X dB is the gain compression of the amplifier, specifically the gain compression of the amplifier circuit.

[0097] S803: The control module determines that the gain corresponding to the gain control circuit will not be adjusted based on the original gain = power difference.

[0098] S804: The control module reduces the gain corresponding to the gain control circuit according to the gain compression amount X dB, so as to control the gain of the amplifier circuit to maintain the first gain (original gain), thereby ensuring that the output power of the amplifier does not saturate.

[0099] It should be understood that the above-mentioned gain compression can also be replaced by the compression of the amplifier's output power.

[0100] The above design, which uses simultaneous input and output power detection for gain control, provides more accurate gain control compared to single-ended detection. This ensures more precise gain control even under fluctuations in amplifier gain and saturation power performance, while also protecting the circuit.

[0101] In one optional implementation, the repeater may further include a first detection module and a second detection module, such as... Figure 9 As shown, in either the downlink or the uplink, the first power detection module can be used to obtain the input power of the amplifier, and the repeater's control module can obtain the input power of the downlink or uplink from the first power detection module. The second power detection module can be used to obtain the output power of the amplifier, and the repeater's control module can obtain the output power of the downlink or uplink from the second power detection module. Therefore, in either the downlink or the uplink, the repeater's control module can determine the gain compression of the amplifier based on its input and output power; and based on the gain compression, control the amplifier's gain to remain at a first gain. Details of the gain control can be found in the above description. Figure 8 The description will not be repeated here.

[0102] It should be understood that Figure 9 The different power detection modules introduced are merely examples and do not constitute any limitation. In actual implementation, power detection modules can also be deployed upstream of different amplifier circuits and downstream of the gain control module, that is, four power detection modules can be used to detect the power of the input and output ports of different amplifier branches in the downlink or uplink, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0103] In one example, the power detection module described above can perform power detection via a coupler; for instance, signal detection can be performed via a coupler and a receiver in either the uplink or downlink. Figure 10As shown, the coupler may include four ports: an input port, an output port, a coupling port, and an isolation port. The input port is the signal input terminal. The output port is the port where the signal is directly output, also known as a pass-through terminal. The coupling port is the output port of the signal coupled from the input signal; in this embodiment, it can be used for signal detection. The isolation port is used to isolate the signal. In this embodiment, the repeater may include at least two couplers. When performing (1) input power detection, the signal received by the receiver can be input to the coupler through the input port, output to the amplifier circuit through the pass-through terminal, and the signal is detected at the coupling port to obtain the input power of the signal. When performing (2) output power detection, the signal via the amplifier circuit and the gain control circuit can be input to the coupler through the input port, output through the pass-through terminal, and the signal is detected at the coupling port to obtain the output power of the signal. For ease of distinction, in the uplink or downlink, the coupler used to detect the input power of the amplifier can be referred to as the first coupler, and the coupler used to detect the output power of the amplifier can be referred to as the second coupler. In an optional implementation, taking a repeater comprising four power detection modules and four couplers as an example, the connection relationships between each coupler, power detection module, and other modules or circuits of the repeater can be as follows: Figure 11 As shown.

[0104] Furthermore, to protect the repeater's circuitry, in an optional implementation, the repeater may also include a limiting circuit. This limiting circuit can be connected in series with the amplifier and located upstream of the amplifier's input, used to limit the signal amplitude of the first cellular signal input to the amplifier, and / or to limit the signal amplitude of the third cellular signal input to the amplifier. Figure 7 , 9 As shown in Figure 11, a limiting circuit 1 is included upstream of the downlink amplifier circuit 1 to limit the signal amplitude of the first cellular signal input to the amplifier. A limiting circuit 2 is included upstream of the uplink amplifier circuit 2 to limit the signal amplitude of the third cellular signal input to the amplifier.

[0105] Therefore, by deploying an in-vehicle communication system through the above design, and by adding an in-vehicle cellular repeater, built-in antenna, and external antenna, the signal strength inside the vehicle can be improved, ensuring good cellular communication quality for vehicle users. Simultaneously, by detecting the input and output power of the amplifier for gain control, more accurate gain control can be achieved under the influence of fluctuations in the gain and saturation power performance of protection devices, thus more effectively protecting the circuit. Controlling the repeater's on / off state through the linkage of target components can significantly reduce the vehicle's energy consumption.

[0106] This application also provides a vehicle-mounted communication device for executing the method executed by the repeater or the control module of the repeater in the above method embodiments. The relevant features can be found in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0107] like Figure 12 As shown, the device 1200 may include: a signal processing unit 1201, configured to, in the downlink, process a first cellular signal received by at least one first antenna outside the vehicle into a second cellular signal, and transmit the second cellular signal to a mobile terminal inside the vehicle via a second antenna inside the vehicle; and / or, in the uplink, process a third cellular signal received by the second antenna into a fourth cellular signal, and transmit the fourth cellular signal to a network device via the first antenna.

[0108] In one possible implementation, the signal processing unit is further configured to: determine that the target component on the vehicle is in a closed state; and perform relaying of cellular signals between the at least one first antenna and the second antenna.

[0109] In one possible implementation, the target component may include at least one of the following: a front window; a rear window; a driver's side door; a passenger side door; and a rear door.

[0110] In one possible implementation, the signal processing unit includes an amplifier, wherein, in the downlink, the amplifier is used to amplify the first cellular signal into a second cellular signal; and in the uplink, the amplifier is used to amplify the third cellular signal into a fourth cellular signal.

[0111] In one possible implementation, the signal processing unit is configured to: determine the gain compression amount of the amplifier based on the input power and output power of the amplifier in either the downlink or the uplink; and control the gain of the amplifier to remain at a first gain based on the gain compression amount of the amplifier.

[0112] In one possible implementation, the signal processing unit is specifically configured to: determine a second gain of the amplifier based on the difference between the input power and the output power of the amplifier; and determine a gain compression amount of the amplifier based on the difference between the first gain and the second gain.

[0113] In one possible implementation, in either the downlink or the uplink, the amplifier includes an amplification circuit and a gain control circuit, the gain control circuit being located downstream of the amplification circuit, wherein the signal processing unit is specifically configured to: reduce the gain corresponding to the gain control circuit according to the gain compression amount of the amplifier, so as to control the gain of the amplifier to remain at the first gain.

[0114] In one possible implementation, the device further includes a first coupler and a second coupler, the first coupler being connected to the input terminal of the amplifier and the second coupler being connected to the output terminal of the amplifier, the signal processing unit being further configured to: detect the input power of the amplifier via the first coupler; or, detect the output power of the amplifier via the second coupler.

[0115] In one possible implementation, the device further includes a limiting circuit, wherein the limiting circuit is connected in series with the amplifier and located upstream of the input of the amplifier, for limiting the signal amplitude of the first cellular signal input to the amplifier, and / or for limiting the signal amplitude of the third cellular signal input to the amplifier.

[0116] In one possible implementation, the at least one first antenna is located inside the fender of the vehicle.

[0117] In one possible implementation, the second antenna is located inside the vehicle's cabin and faces into the cabin.

[0118] In one possible implementation, the second antenna is located in the rear center aisle of the cabin.

[0119] For specific implementation details, please refer to the method steps implemented by the repeater or the control module of the repeater in the above method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0120] It should be understood that the division of units in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software; for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of each unit in the device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units in the device can be implemented as hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all units can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the functionality of some or all of the above units is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD), such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). This PLD can include a large number of logic gates, and the connection relationships between these logic gates can be configured through configuration files to achieve the functionality of some or all of the above units. All units in the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-invoked software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-invoked software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0121] In this application embodiment, a processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a CPU, microprocessor, graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a type of microprocessor), or digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. These logical relationships of hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented as an ASIC or PLD, such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0122] As can be seen, each unit in the above device can be one or more processors (or processing circuits) configured to implement the above methods, such as: CPU, GPU, NPU, TPU, DPU, microprocessor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or a combination of at least two of these processor forms.

[0123] Furthermore, the units in the above devices can be integrated in whole or in part, or they can be implemented independently. In one implementation, these units are integrated together as a system-on-a-chip (SOC). The SOC may include at least one processor for implementing any of the above methods or implementing the functions of the units in the device. The at least one processor may be of different types, such as CPU and FPGA, CPU and artificial intelligence processor, CPU and GPU, etc.

[0124] In a simplified embodiment, those skilled in the art will realize that the communication devices described in the above embodiments can all be employed. Figure 13 As shown in the figure.

[0125] like Figure 13 The illustrated device 1300 includes at least one processor 1310 and a communication interface 1330. In an alternative design, a memory 1320 may also be included.

[0126] The specific connection medium between the processor 1310 and the memory 1320 described above is not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0127] In such Figure 13 In the device, the processor 1310 can transmit data through the communication interface 1330 when communicating with other devices.

[0128] When the communication device adopts Figure 13 When in the form shown, Figure 13 The processor 1310 can call computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1320, enabling the device 1300 to execute any of the above method embodiments.

[0129] This application also relates to a chip system including a processor for calling a computer program or computer instructions stored in a memory to cause the processor to execute the methods of any of the above embodiments.

[0130] In one possible implementation, the processor can be coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0131] In one possible implementation, the chip system may also directly include a memory in which computer programs or computer instructions are stored.

[0132] For example, the memory can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DRRAM).

[0133] This application also relates to a processor for calling a computer program or computer instructions stored in a memory to cause the processor to execute the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0134] For example, in the embodiments of this application, the processor is an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. For instance, the processor can be an FPGA, a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, a system-on-chip (SoC), a CPU, a network processor (NP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a PLD, or other integrated chips, capable of implementing or executing the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory; the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above methods.

[0135] It should be understood that embodiments of this application may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products.

[0136] In one possible implementation, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing program code that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method embodiments described above.

[0137] In one possible implementation, this application provides a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the above-described method embodiments.

[0138] Therefore, this application may take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0139] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0140] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0141] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the embodiments of this application without departing from the scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, if these modifications and variations to the embodiments of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include these modifications and variations. In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between the various embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted communication method, characterized in that, include: In the downlink, the repeater processes the first cellular signal received by at least one first antenna outside the vehicle into a second cellular signal, and transmits the second cellular signal to the mobile terminal inside the vehicle through the second antenna inside the vehicle; And / or, In the uplink, the repeater processes the third cellular signal received by the second antenna into a fourth cellular signal and transmits the fourth cellular signal to the network device through the at least one first antenna.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The repeater determines that the target component on the vehicle is in a closed state; The repeater performs relaying of cellular signals between the at least one first antenna and the second antenna.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The target component includes at least one of the following: a front window; a rear window; a driver's side door; a passenger side door; and a rear door.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The repeater includes an amplifier, wherein, In the downlink, the amplifier is used to amplify the first cellular signal into the second cellular signal; In the uplink, the amplifier is used to amplify the third cellular signal into the fourth cellular signal.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: In either the downlink or the uplink, the gain compression of the amplifier is determined based on the input power and output power of the amplifier. Based on the gain compression of the amplifier, the gain of the amplifier is controlled to remain at the first gain.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Determining the gain compression of the amplifier based on its input power and output power includes: The second gain of the amplifier is determined based on the difference between the input power and the output power of the amplifier. The gain compression of the amplifier is determined based on the difference between the first gain and the second gain.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, In either the downlink or the uplink, the amplifier includes an amplification circuit and a gain control circuit, wherein the gain control circuit is located downstream of the amplification circuit. The step of controlling the amplifier gain to remain at a first gain based on the amplifier gain compression includes: Based on the gain compression of the amplifier, the gain corresponding to the gain control circuit is reduced to control the amplifier's gain to remain at the first gain.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5-7, characterized in that, The repeater further includes a first coupler and a second coupler, the first coupler being connected to the input terminal of the amplifier, and the second coupler being connected to the output terminal of the amplifier. The method further includes: The repeater detects the input power of the amplifier through the first coupler; or, The repeater detects the output power of the amplifier through the second coupler.

9. The method according to any one of claims 4-8, characterized in that, The repeater also includes a limiting circuit, wherein, The limiting circuit is connected in series with the amplifier and located upstream of the amplifier's input terminal. It is used to limit the signal amplitude of the first cellular signal input to the amplifier, and / or to limit the signal amplitude of the third cellular signal input to the amplifier.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The at least one first antenna is located inside the fender of the vehicle.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The second antenna is located inside the vehicle's cabin and faces into the cabin.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The second antenna is located in the rear center aisle of the cabin.

13. A vehicle-mounted communication device, characterized in that, include: The signal processing unit is configured to process a first cellular signal received by at least one first antenna outside the vehicle into a second cellular signal in the downlink, and transmit the second cellular signal to a mobile terminal inside the vehicle via a second antenna inside the vehicle. And / or, In the uplink, the third cellular signal received by the second antenna is processed into a fourth cellular signal, and the fourth cellular signal is transmitted to the network device through the first antenna.

14. A vehicle-mounted communication system, characterized in that, include: At least one first antenna is located outside the vehicle; The second antenna is located inside the vehicle; A repeater is used to process a first cellular signal received by at least one first antenna into a second cellular signal in the downlink, and transmit the second cellular signal to a mobile terminal in the vehicle through the second antenna; And / or, in the uplink, the third cellular signal received by the second antenna is processed into a fourth cellular signal, and the fourth cellular signal is transmitted to the network device through the first antenna.

15. The system according to claim 14, characterized in that, The repeater is also used for: Determine that the target component on the vehicle is in a closed state; Perform relaying of cellular signals between the at least one first antenna and the second antenna.

16. The system according to claim 15, characterized in that, The target component includes at least one of the following: a front window; a rear window; a driver's side door; a passenger side door; and a rear door.

17. The system according to any one of claims 14-16, characterized in that, The repeater includes an amplifier, wherein, In the downlink, the amplifier is used to amplify the first cellular signal into the second cellular signal; In the uplink, the amplifier is used to amplify the third cellular signal into the fourth cellular signal.

18. The system according to claim 17, characterized in that, The repeater further includes a first detection module and a second detection module, wherein, In either the downlink or the uplink, the first power detection module is used to obtain the input power of the amplifier, and the second power detection module is used to obtain the output power of the amplifier. The repeater is also used to determine the gain compression of the amplifier based on the input power and output power of the amplifier; and to control the gain of the amplifier to remain at a first gain based on the gain compression of the amplifier.

19. The system according to claim 18, characterized in that, The repeater is used for: The second gain of the amplifier is determined based on the difference between the input power and the output power of the amplifier. The gain compression of the amplifier is determined based on the difference between the first gain and the second gain.

20. The system according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, In either the downlink or the uplink, the amplifier includes an amplification circuit and a gain control circuit, wherein the gain control circuit is located downstream of the amplification circuit. The repeater is used for: Based on the gain compression of the amplifier, the gain corresponding to the gain control circuit is reduced to control the amplifier's gain to remain at the first gain.

21. The system according to any one of claims 18-20, characterized in that, The repeater further includes a first coupler and a second coupler, the first coupler being connected to the input terminal of the amplifier, and the second coupler being connected to the output terminal of the amplifier, wherein the repeater is further used for: The input power of the amplifier is detected through the first coupler; or, The output power of the amplifier is detected by the second coupler.

22. The system according to any one of claims 17-21, characterized in that, The repeater also includes a limiting circuit, wherein, The limiting circuit is connected in series with the amplifier and located upstream of the amplifier's input terminal. It is used to limit the signal amplitude of the first cellular signal input to the amplifier, and / or to limit the signal amplitude of the third cellular signal input to the amplifier.

23. The system according to any one of claims 14-22, characterized in that, The at least one first antenna is located inside the vehicle fender.

24. The system according to any one of claims 14-23, characterized in that, The second antenna is located inside the vehicle's cabin and faces into the cabin.

25. The system according to claim 24, characterized in that, The second antenna is located in the rear center aisle of the cabin.

26. The system according to any one of claims 15-25, characterized in that, The first antenna and / or the second antenna are planar inverted F antennas.

27. A repeater, characterized in that, Includes a processor, which is coupled to memory: The processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in the memory to cause the apparatus to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-12.

28. A vehicle, characterized in that, Including the vehicle communication system as described in any one of claims 14-26.

29. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, Includes a program or instructions, which, when executed, cause the method described in any one of claims 1-12 to be performed.

30. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is run on a computer, it causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-12.

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