Radio frequency circuit and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a radio frequency circuit and electronic equipment, and belongs to the technical field of radio frequency. The radio frequency circuit comprises a radio frequency transceiver, a radio frequency processing module and a plurality of antennas, the radio frequency transceiver comprises a plurality of transmitting ports; the radio frequency processing module comprises a first front-end module, a second front-end module and a multiplexer switch module; a plurality of transmitting ports of the radio frequency transceiver are connected with the second front-end module through the multiplexer switch module, so that a plurality of second signal transmitting channels from each transmitting port to the corresponding second front-end module are mutually independent; and the number of the plurality of second signal transmitting channels is greater than or equal to the number of second antennas connected with the corresponding second front-end module, so that SRS polling transmission on the plurality of second antennas is realized in a channel sounding reference signal SRS polling mode, and channel sounding reference signals SRS of each transmitting port do not conflict.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of radio frequency technology, and in particular to a radio frequency circuit and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of 5G networks, operators' demands for network speeds are constantly increasing. To meet this demand, relevant organizations have launched chips that support 8-antenna multiple-input multiple-output (8MIMO) and 8-receive-antenna (8RX) functionality, thereby improving the downlink reception rate and reception performance of terminals.

[0003] The chip design employs a low-noise amplifier to implement an additional receive channel, supporting 8RX functionality in the Time Division Duplex (TDD) band. However, the newly added receiver only has one Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) input channel for detecting two antennas. In 8RX or 8MIMO configurations, simultaneous polling of two 1T4R channels is required, which may lead to collisions or signal interference during the polling process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a radio frequency circuit and electronic device to at least solve the problem that related chips are prone to signal conflict or signal interference when performing polling operations of two-way 1T4R.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application is implemented as follows: In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a radio frequency (RF) circuit, including: an RF transceiver, an RF processing module, and multiple antennas; the RF transceiver includes multiple transmit ports; the RF processing module includes a first front-end module, a second front-end module, and a multiplexer module; the multiple antennas include multiple first antennas and multiple second antennas; the multiple transmit ports are connected to the first front-end module, the first front-end module is connected to the multiple first antennas, the first front-end module is also connected to the second front-end module through the multiplexer module, and the second front-end module is connected to the multiple second antennas; wherein, the multiple transmit ports are connected to the second front-end module through the multiplexer module, so that the multiple second signal transmission channels from each transmit port to the corresponding second front-end module are independent of each other, and the number of the multiple second signal transmission channels is greater than or equal to the number of the second antennas connected to the corresponding second front-end module, so as to realize SRS polling transmission on the multiple second antennas in the channel sounding reference signal (SRS) polling mode, and the SRS of each transmit port do not conflict.

[0006] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device including the radio frequency circuit described in the first aspect above.

[0007] In this embodiment, the radio frequency (RF) circuit includes an RF transceiver, an RF processing module, and multiple antennas. The RF transceiver includes multiple transmit ports. The RF processing module includes a first front-end module, a second front-end module, and a multiplexer module. The multiple transmit ports are connected to the second front-end module via the multiplexer module, ensuring that the multiple second signal transmission channels from each transmit port to the corresponding second front-end module are independent. The number of these second signal transmission channels is greater than or equal to the number of second antennas connected to the corresponding second front-end module. This allows for SRS polling transmission on multiple second antennas in the Channel Sound Reference Signal (SRS) polling mode, ensuring no conflict between the SRS signals from each transmit port. This method avoids signal conflict issues in two-way 1T4R polling operations, ensuring independent transmission channels between the SRS signal of each transmit port and the second antenna, and achieving efficient and conflict-free SRS signal transmission.

[0008] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0009] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0010] Figure 1 The present application shows schematic diagrams of the structure of radio frequency circuits provided in some embodiments; Figure 2 This application shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency circuit provided in some other embodiments; Figure 3 This is a second schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency circuit provided in some other embodiments of this application; Figure 4 The following are schematic diagrams illustrating the structure of L-PAMiF provided in some embodiments of this application; Figure 5 The present application provides schematic diagrams of the structure of L-FEM according to some embodiments; Figure 6 The present application provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a double-pole four-throw switch according to some embodiments. Figure 7 This is shown as a third schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency circuit provided in some other embodiments of this application; Figure 8 The fourth illustration shows a structural schematic diagram of a radio frequency circuit provided in some other embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0011] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0012] Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) is an important technology in current wireless communication networks, used for uplink channel estimation. Its principle is that terminal devices transmit SRS to the base station in turn on different antennas. The base station uses the SRS to understand the channel state, evaluate the quality of each channel, and thus optimize resource allocation and signal processing, providing accurate Channel State Information (CSI) to enable the base station to make link adaptation, beamforming, and scheduling decisions. TDD SRS utilizes the same-frequency uplink and downlink characteristics to achieve high-precision channel estimation with lower signaling overhead, and is a key enabling technology for 5G Massive MIMO and dynamic scheduling.

[0013] The SRS technology is implemented by the terminal device switching the SRS signal to different antennas for transmission via a switch. Generally, the terminal device uses a 1T4R RF system and a 2T4R RF system to implement the four-antenna SRS polling mode.

[0014] 1T4R: Indicates support for a single reference signal with one transmit (Tx) path and four receive (Rx) paths. Based on the principle of SRS, signals are transmitted alternately on different antennas, requiring a switch to switch the signal between them. 1T4R can utilize the internal switch of a power amplifier module with integrated duplexer (PAmid) or an external SP4T (single-pole four-throw) to implement SRS. The 1T4R switching mechanism is simple and suitable for resource-constrained scenarios, such as Evolved Long Term Evolution and New Radio Dual Connectivity (ENR) mode. UTRA NewRadioDualConnectivity (ENDC) or Standalone Mode (SA).

[0015] 2T4R: This indicates a single reference signal supporting two transmit paths (Tx1 and Tx2) and four receive paths. Compared to 1T4R, besides ENDC and SA scenarios, it can also be applied to uplink carrier aggregation multiple-input multiple-output (ULCA MIMO) schemes, thus requiring greater flexibility in scheme design. Generally, the SRS link design of a 2T4R RF system can be combined with a PAmid device, consisting of 1T2R + 1T4R or two 1T4Rs combined to form a 2T4R.

[0016] 1T8R: Based on the 1T4R above, the same transmission signal is sent in rotation on four additional different antennas. Switches are needed to switch the signal to different antennas, so that one transmission can be polled and detected on eight different radio frequency receiving channels.

[0017] However, the newly added receiver only has one Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) input channel for detecting both antennas. In an 8RX or 8MIMO configuration, simultaneous polling of two 1T4R channels is required, which may cause signal collisions or interference during the polling process.

[0018] To address the problems existing in the SRS signal polling process under the above-mentioned 8MIMO or 8RX operating scenarios, this application provides a radio frequency circuit. In this radio frequency circuit, multiple transmit ports of the radio frequency transceiver are connected to a second front-end module through a multiplexer module, so that the multiple second signal transmission channels from each transmit port to the corresponding second front-end module are independent of each other, and the number of multiple second signal transmission channels is greater than or equal to the number of second antennas connected to the corresponding second front-end module. This enables SRS polling transmission on multiple second antennas in the Channel Sound Reference Signal (SRS) polling mode, and ensures that the SRS signals of each transmit port do not conflict.

[0019] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 Schematic diagrams of radio frequency circuits provided in some embodiments of this application are shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the radio frequency circuit includes: a radio frequency transceiver 110, a radio frequency processing module 120, and multiple antennas; The radio frequency transceiver 110 includes multiple transmit ports 111; The radio frequency processing module 120 includes a first front-end module 121, a second front-end module 122, and a multiplexer module 123; The multiple antennas include multiple first antennas 131 and multiple second antennas 132; Multiple transmit ports 111 are connected to the first front-end module 121, the first front-end module 121 is connected to multiple first antennas 131, the first front-end module 121 is also connected to the second front-end module 122 through a multiplexer module 123, and the second front-end module 122 is connected to multiple second antennas 132. In this configuration, multiple transmit ports 111 are connected to the second front-end module 122 via a multiplexer module 123, so that the multiple second signal transmission channels from each transmit port 111 to the corresponding second front-end module 122 are independent of each other, and the number of multiple second signal transmission channels is greater than or equal to the number of second antennas 132 connected to the corresponding second front-end module 122, so that in the channel sounding reference signal (SRS) polling mode, SRS polling transmission on multiple second antennas 132 is realized and there is no conflict between the channel sounding reference signals (SRS) of each transmit port 111.

[0020] In a specific implementation, the aforementioned RF transceiver 110 can employ a multi-mode chip supporting 4G / 5G, including m transmit ports 111 (e.g., TX1, TX2, ..., TXm), each transmit port being used to independently transmit SRS. The aforementioned first front-end module 121 is used to receive SRS from multiple transmit ports 111, perform preliminary processing such as amplification and filtering, and transmit the processed signals to multiple connected first antennas 131. The aforementioned second front-end module 122 is used to process the SRS transmitted through the multiplexing switch module 123, and finally transmit it to multiple second antennas 132. The aforementioned multiplexing switch module 123 is used to select different second signal transmission channels according to control signals, so as to independently transmit the signals from multiple transmit ports 111 to the second signal transmission channels of the second front-end module 122.

[0021] In SRS polling mode, multiple transmit ports 111 can transmit SRS signals simultaneously. The multiplexer module 123 switches to the second signal transmission channel. Since the SRS signal transmitted by each transmit port 111 corresponds to an independent second signal transmission channel, and the number of multiple second signal transmission channels is greater than or equal to the number of second antennas 132, parallel signal processing between multiple transmit ports 111 and the second antenna 132 can be achieved, ensuring that there is no conflict between the SRS signals of each transmit port.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, taking the number of transmit ports as m and the number of second antennas as n, where m and n ≥ 1, the RF transceiver 110 includes m transmit ports (TX1~TXm), each supporting a different frequency band. TX1~TXm are respectively connected to the first antenna through the corresponding first front-end module 121 to form a first signal transmission channel; transmit ports TX1~TXm are also connected to the multiplexer module 123 through the SRS_TX port of the first front-end module 121; the output ports (UHB SRS1, UHB SRS2, ..., UHB SRSn) of the multiplexer module 123 are respectively connected to the input ports (TRX1, TRX2) of each second front-end module 122 to form a second signal transmission channel. Simultaneously, the number of second signal transmission channels is greater than or equal to the number of second antennas (ANT1, ANT2, ANT3, ..., ANTn) connected to the second front-end module 122, thereby enabling the transmission of the first SRS signal through the second antennas.

[0023] For the aforementioned n second antennas, the SRS detection path is: TX1~TXm→UHB SRS1~UHB SRSn→ANT1~ANTn. For example, when m=2 and n=4, the SRS path for the first TX1 is: TX1→UHB SRS1→ANT1, TX1→UHB SRS3→ANT3; the SRS path for the second TX2 is: TX2→UHB SRS2→ANT2, TX2→UHB SRS4→ANT4; as another example, when m=3 and n=4, the SRS path for the first TX1 is: TX1→UHB SRS1→ANT1; the SRS path for the second TX2 is: TX2→UHB SRS2→ANT2; the SRS path for the third TX3 is: TX3→UHB SRS4→ANT4. In this way, each second signal transmission channel is used to detect only one antenna, which can avoid the problems of collision or signal interference caused during polling.

[0024] In another exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, taking two transmitting ports and n antennas as an example, the RF transceiver 110 includes transmitting ports TX1 and TX2, used to transmit two SRS signals in different frequency bands. TX1 is connected to the first antenna (ANT1, ANT2, ANT3, ANT4) through the first front-end module 121 to form the first transmitting channel; the RF transceiver 110 transmits the first SRS signal through the transmitting port TX1, and transmits SRS1 to the first antenna through the first transmitting channel, and then the first antenna transmits the first SRS signal.

[0025] The transmit port TX1 is also connected to the multiplexer module 123 via the SRS_TX port of the first front-end module 121; the output ports (UHB SRS1, UHB SRS2, ..., UHB SRSn) of the multiplexer module 123 are respectively connected to the input ports (TRX1, TRX2) of each of the second front-end modules 122, forming a second transmit channel. Simultaneously, the number of second signal transmit channels is greater than or equal to the number of second antennas (ANT5, ANT6, ..., ANTn-1, ANTn) connected to the second front-end module 122, thereby enabling the transmission of the first SRS signal via the second antenna.

[0026] Similarly, the radio frequency transceiver 110 transmits a second SRS signal through the transmit port TX2, and achieves the transmission of a second SRS signal on multiple antennas in the manner described above.

[0027] Because the multiple signal transmission channels between each transmit port and its corresponding second front-end module are independent of each other, and the number of these signal transmission channels is greater than or equal to the number of antennas connected to the corresponding front-end module, in SRS polling mode, multiple second antennas can be polled and transmitted with two SRS signals simultaneously, while ensuring that the SRS signals between different transmit ports do not conflict. This avoids potential conflicts that may occur in two-channel 1T4R polling operations, ensuring that the SRS signal of each transmit port and its corresponding antenna have independent transmission channels, achieving efficient and conflict-free SRS signal transmission.

[0028] In some embodiments, the number of transmit ports 111 is equal to the number of second signal transmit channels corresponding to each second front-end module 122, and the number of first output ports of the multiplexer module 123 is equal to the sum of the number of second signal transmit channels of all second front-end modules 122.

[0029] In specific implementation, the number of second signal transmission channels corresponding to each second front-end module 122 is equal to the number of transmission ports. For example, if there are m transmission ports, the number of second signal transmission channels corresponding to each second front-end module 122 is also m, ensuring that each transmission port 111 can independently send signals to its corresponding second signal transmission channel, thereby achieving parallel operation. The number of first output ports of the multiplexer module 123 is equal to the sum of the number of second signal transmission channels of all second front-end modules 122, allowing each transmission port 111 to flexibly select and connect to the second signal transmission channels of different second front-end modules 122.

[0030] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 2As shown, assuming the RF transceiver 110 has m transmit ports (TX1, TX2, ..., TXm), then the number of second signal transmission channels corresponding to each second front-end module 122 is m. Specifically, each second front-end module 122 includes m transmit and receive ports, and the output port of the multiplexer module 123 is connected to each of the m transmit and receive ports of the second front-end module 122 to form a second transmission channel. Furthermore, the number of first output ports of the multiplexer module 123 is equal to the sum of the number of second signal transmission channels of all second front-end modules 122. Assuming the number of second front-end modules 122 is k, then the number of first output ports of the multiplexer module 123 is k*m.

[0031] In particular, such as Figure 1 As shown, taking two transmission ports 111 as an example, each second front-end module 122 corresponds to two second signal transmission channels. Assuming that the number of second front-end modules 122 is n / 2, the number of first output ports of the multiplexer module 123 is n, namely UHB SRS1, UHB SRS2, ..., UHB SRSn.

[0032] With the above configuration, each transmitting port has an independent second signal transmission channel. Signals transmitted through each transmitting port can be allocated to the corresponding second antenna without conflict. This avoids conflicts between the SRS of different transmitting ports and ensures load balance across signal channels, achieving stable, flexible, and efficient signal transmission.

[0033] In some embodiments, the multiplexing switch module 123 described above includes an mPnT switch assembly, which includes m first P ports and n first T ports, where m is the number of transmit ports 111 and n is the sum of the number of second signal transmission channels of all second front-end modules 122; The second port SRS_TX of the first front-end module 121 is connected to m first P ports respectively, and the n first T ports are connected to each transceiver port of the second front-end module 122 respectively.

[0034] The aforementioned mPnT switch can be any type of similar m-input n-output switch, or it can be a switch that can achieve the same function by cascading several switches.

[0035] In an exemplary embodiment, the m first P ports of the mPnT switch assembly are respectively connected to the second port SRS_TX of the first front-end module 121, and the n first T ports (UHB SRS1, UHB SRS2, ..., UHBSRSn) of the mPnT switch assembly are respectively connected to the transceiver ports (TX1 and TX2) of the second front-end module 122.

[0036] In this way, efficient and conflict-free signal distribution between the transmit port 111 and the second signal channel can be achieved through the mPnT switching component. Each SRS signal enters through the first P port, and after flexible routing selection, is output to the corresponding second signal transmit channel of the second front-end module 122 through the first T port. This method optimizes the signal transmission path, improves the capacity and resource utilization efficiency of the RF circuit, and ensures the independence and efficiency of the SRS signal.

[0037] In some embodiments, when there are two transmit ports 111, there are two first front-end modules 121. The multiplexer module 123 further includes a DP4T switch and a DPnT switch. The DP4T switch includes two second P ports and four second T ports, and the DPnT switch includes two third P ports and n third T ports. The second ports SRS_TX of the two first front-end modules 121 are respectively connected to the two second P ports. Two of the four second T ports are respectively connected to the two third P ports. The n third T ports are respectively connected to the transceiver ports of all the second front-end modules 122. The remaining two second T ports of the four second T ports are respectively connected to the third ports TX1 of the two first front-end modules.

[0038] In one exemplary embodiment, the RF circuit can be applied to receive paths of 8 RX or higher, such as 10 RX, 12 RX, 16 RX, 32 RX, etc. To support multiplexing functionality, the aforementioned multiplexer module 123 can be used individually or in cascades to achieve a 2TnR configuration (where T is the transmit channel, R is the receive channel, and n is the number of receive channels), thereby expanding to more receive paths. Specifically, as... Figure 3 As shown, for the n receiving paths, a DPNT (double-pole multi-throw switch) configuration can be selected, or it can be implemented by cascading a DP4T and a DPnT. The TRX port of each second front-end module 122 can receive two SRS signals and can ensure that there is no conflict with the first signal when the second transmitted SRS signal is detected and polled.

[0039] In some possible implementations, a band-pass filter (BPF) is also provided between the second front-end module 122 and the second antenna 132 to allow signals within a specific frequency range to pass through while filtering out signals of other frequencies outside that specific frequency range, thereby reducing signal interference.

[0040] In some embodiments, the first front-end module 121 described above includes a first port TX, a second port SRS_TX, and a third port TX1; Multiple transmit ports 111 are selectively connected to multiple first antennas via the first port TX of the first front-end module 121. The first port TX is connected to the second port SRS_TX. The second port SRS_TX of the first front-end module is connected to the third port TX1 of the first front-end module 121 via the multiplexer module 123. The third port TX1 is selectively connected to multiple first antennas 131, so that the multiple first signal transmission channels from each transmit port to the corresponding first front-end module 121 are independent of each other, and the number of multiple first signal transmission channels is greater than or equal to the number of first antennas 131 connected to the corresponding first front-end module 121. In the channel sounding reference signal (SRS) polling mode, SRS polling transmission on multiple first antennas 131 is realized, and the channel sounding reference signals (SRS) of each transmit port 111 do not conflict.

[0041] In a specific implementation, it is assumed that the RF transceiver 110 has m transmit ports (TX1, TX2, ..., TXm). These m transmit ports are selectively connected to multiple first antennas (ANT1, ANT2, ..., ANTq) through the first port TX of the first front-end module 121, where q ≥ 1, forming a first signal transmission channel. Simultaneously, the first port TX of the first front-end module 121 is connected to the second port SRS_TX. The second port SRS_TX is connected to the third port TX1 of the first front-end module 121 through a multiplexer module 123. The third port TX1 is selectively connected to multiple first antennas 131, forming a second transmission channel. In practical applications, the first front-end module 121 may include a 2PqT switch. Its two input terminals are connected to the first port TX and the third port TX1, respectively, and its q output ports are connected one-to-one with the q first antennas, enabling selective connection to multiple first antennas 131 through the first port TX and simultaneously through the third port TX1.

[0042] In this way, the multiple first signal transmission channels from each transmission port (TX1, TX2, ..., TXm) to the corresponding first front-end module 121 are independent of each other, and the number of multiple first signal transmission channels is greater than or equal to the number of first antennas 131 connected to the corresponding first front-end module 121. Thus, in the channel sounding reference signal (SRS) polling mode, SRS polling transmission on multiple first antennas 131 can be realized and the channel sounding reference signals (SRS) of each transmission port 111 do not conflict.

[0043] In an exemplary embodiment, taking two transmit ports 111 as an example, the two transmit channels 111 are TX1 and TX2. TX1 is selectively connected to multiple first antennas through the first port TX of the first front-end module 121 to form a signal transmit channel. Simultaneously, TX2 is selectively connected to multiple first antennas through the first port TX, the second port SRS_TX, the multiplexer module 123, and the third port TX1 of the first front-end module 121 to form another signal transmit channel. In SRS polling mode, polling transmission of two SRS signals on multiple first antennas can be achieved, while ensuring that SRS signals between different transmit ports do not conflict.

[0044] In some embodiments, the radio frequency transceiver 110 described above further includes multiple receiving ports; multiple antennas are connected to the corresponding receiving ports through the signal receiving paths of the corresponding first front-end module 121 or the second front-end module 122, and all signal receiving paths are independent of each other.

[0045] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the radio frequency transceiver 110 includes receiving ports RX1, RX2, RX3, RX4, ..., RXn-1, RXn, and antennas ANT1, ANT2, ANT3, ANT4, ..., ANTn-1, ANTn are connected to the corresponding receiving ports through the signal receiving paths of the corresponding first front-end module 121 or the second front-end module 122, and all signal receiving paths are independent of each other.

[0046] In some possible implementations, the first front-end module 121 described above can be a low-power amplifier module integrated with a filter (L-PAMiF). The L-PAMiF integrates multiple components such as a power amplifier, switch, and filter, and also includes integrated devices such as a low-noise amplifier (LNA) and a coupler. Figure 4As shown, the L-PAMiF includes a first switch 1211, a power amplifier 1212, a first filter 1213, a first low-noise amplifier 1214, a second filter 1215, a second low-noise amplifier 1216, a third filter 1217, and a second switch 1218. The second switch 1218 includes a first contact n1, a second contact n2, a third contact n3, and a fourth contact n4 disposed at the first end, and a fifth contact n5, a sixth contact n6, and a seventh contact n7 disposed at the second end. The transmit port 111 of the radio frequency transceiver 110 is connected to the first contact n1 through the first switch 1211, the power amplifier 1212, and the first filter 1213; the receive port of the radio frequency transceiver 110 includes a first receive port and a second receive port; the first receive port is connected to the second contact n2 through the first low noise amplifier 1214 and the second filter 1215; the second receive port is connected to the third contact n3 through the second low noise amplifier 1216 and the third filter 1217. The fourth contact n4 is connected to the output port of the multiplexer module 123, and the fifth contact n5 is connected to the input port of the multiplexer module 123; the sixth contact n6 and the seventh contact n7 are respectively connected to antennas, the second contact n2 is connected to the sixth contact n6, and the third contact n3 is connected to the seventh contact n7.

[0047] In an exemplary embodiment, the transmit port 111 of the radio frequency transceiver 110 can be connected to either TX_IN1 (14) or TX_IN1 (15) of the L-PAMiF to be connected to the first contact n1 via the first switch 1211, the power amplifier 1212, and the first filter 1213.

[0048] In some possible implementations, the second front-end module 122 described above can be a front-end module (LNA Front-End Module) with an integrated low-noise amplifier. FEM), L The FEM is a core component of the 5G / 4G RF front-end, specifically designed for optimized receiver links; it internally contains LNAs, switches, and filters. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the L The FEM includes a third switch 1221, a third low-noise amplifier 1222, a fourth filter 1223, a fourth switch 1224, a fourth low-noise amplifier 1225, a fifth filter 1226, and a fifth switch 1227. The fifth switch 1227 includes an eighth contact n8, a ninth contact n9, a tenth contact n10, and an eleventh contact n11 disposed at the fifth terminal, and a twelfth contact n12 and a thirteenth contact n13 disposed at the sixth terminal; The receiving port of the radio frequency transceiver 110 includes a third receiving port and a fourth receiving port; the third receiving port is connected to the eighth contact n8 through the third switch 1221, the third low noise amplifier 1222, and the fourth filter 1223; the fourth receiving port is connected to the ninth contact n9 through the fourth switch 1224, the fourth low noise amplifier 1225, and the fifth filter 1226. The tenth contact n10 and the eleventh contact n11 are respectively connected to the output ports of the multiplexer module 113; The twelfth contact n12 and the thirteenth contact n13 are connected to antennas respectively. The eighth contact n8 is connected to the twelfth contact n12, and the ninth contact n9 is connected to the thirteenth contact n13.

[0049] In some embodiments, when there are two transmit ports 111 and eight antennas, there are two first front-end modules 121 and two second front-end modules 122, each of which includes two transmit and receive ports. Each transmit port 111 is selectively connected to two of the eight first antennas through the first port TX of the corresponding first front-end module 121; each transmit port 111 is also selectively connected to the corresponding second port SRS_TX through the first port TX of the corresponding first front-end module 121, and the second port SRS_TX is connected to the input port of the multiplexer module 123. The output port of the multiplexer module 123 is connected to each of the transceiver ports of the two second front-end modules 122 respectively; each transceiver port is connected to the remaining four second antennas among the eight antennas, so as to realize SRS polling transmission on the eight antennas and that the channel sounding reference signals (SRS) of each transmission port do not conflict.

[0050] In an exemplary embodiment, the aforementioned multiplexer module 123 may be a DP6T (double-pole six-throw) switch, or any similar type of multiple-input multiple-output switch, or the same function may be achieved by cascading several switches.

[0051] In some possible implementations, the aforementioned multiplexer switch module 123 includes a first DP4T switch and a second DP4T switch. The first DP4T switch includes two fourth P ports and four fourth T ports, and the second DP4T switch includes two fifth P ports and four fifth T ports. The second ports SRS_TX of the two first front-end modules are respectively connected to the two fourth P ports. Two of the four fourth T ports are respectively connected to the two fifth P ports. The remaining two of the four fourth T ports are respectively connected to the third ports TX1 of the two first front-end modules. The four fifth T ports are respectively connected to the transceiver ports of the two second front-end modules 122.

[0052] In one exemplary embodiment, a double-pole four-throw (DP4T) switch is an electrical switch capable of switching between two different circuits under the control of a controller. Figure 6 As shown, the DP4T includes two P ports (RFOUT1 and RFOUT2) and four T ports (RFIN1, RFIN2, RFIN3 and RFIN4), with four different output options. This switch is typically used in applications where selection between multiple circuits is required.

[0053] In this embodiment, the DP4T solution, selected as the multi-channel selection switch module, offers higher maturity, superior insertion loss performance, and cost advantages compared to DP6T and DP8T multi-channel switches. Therefore, the DP4T solution has greater potential and advantages in practical applications and widespread adoption.

[0054] With two first front-end modules, L-PAMiF#1 and L-PAMiF#2, and two second front-end modules, L... FEM#1 and L For example, FEM#2 Figure 7 As shown, the two SRS signals from L-PAMIF #1 and L-PAMIF #2 are connected to the two inputs of the first DP4T switch, respectively. Two of the four outputs of the first DP4T are connected to the TRX ports of the two L-PAMIF #1 switches, used to detect the signal quality of the first four receive channels of ANT1-4. The other two outputs of the first DP4T are connected to the two inputs of the second DP4T, and the two outputs of the second DP4T are connected to the TRX ports of L-FEM #1 and L-FEM #2, respectively.

[0055] The complete and simplified 8MIMO receiver path is as follows: Pathway 1: ANT1→BPF→L-PAMiF #1 ANT1→L-PAMiF #1 RX1→RX1; Path 2: ANT2→BPF→L-PAMiF #1 ANT2→L-PAMiF #1 RX2→RX2; Pathway 3: ANT3→BPF→L-PAMiF #2 ANT1→L-PAMiF #2 RX1→RX3; Pathway 4: ANT4→BPF→L-PAMiF #2 ANT2→L-PAMiF #2 RX2→RX4; Pathway 5: ANT5→BPF→L-FEM #1 ANT1→L-FEM #1 RX1→RX5; Pathway 6: ANT6→BPF→L-FEM #1 ANT2→L-FEM #1 RX2→RX6; Pathway 7: ANT7→BPF→L-FEM #2 ANT1→L-FEM #2 RX1→RX7; Pathway 8: ANT8→BPF→L-FEM #2 ANT2→L-FEM #2 RX2→RX8.

[0056] For the 1T8R scheme, the SRS polling probe path is as follows: In path 1 (TX1), the eight SRSs correspond to: 1)SRS1:TX1→L-PAMiF #1→ANT1; 2)SRS2:TX1→L-PAMiF #1→ANT2; 3) SRS3: TX1→L-PAMiF #1 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→L-PAMiF #2 TRX1→ANT3; 4) SRS4: TX1→L-PAMiF #1 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→L-PAMiF #2 TRX1→ANT4; 5) SRS5: TX1→L-PAMiF #1 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→DP4T#2→L-FEM #1 TRX1→ANT5; 6) SRS6: TX1→L-PAMiF #1 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→DP4T#2→L-FEM #1 TRX2→ANT6; 7)SRS7: TX1→L-PAMiF #1 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→DP4T#2→L-FEM #2 TRX1→ANT7; 8) SRS8: TX1→L-PAMiF #1 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→DP4T#2→L-FEM #2 TRX2→ANT8.

[0057] In path 2 (TX2), the eight SRSs correspond to: 1)SRS1:TX2→L-PAMiF #2 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→L-PAMiF #1 TRX1→ANT1; 2)SRS2: TX2→L-PAMiF #2 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→L-PAMiF #1 TRX1→ANT2; 3)SRS3:TX2→L-PAMiF #2→ANT3; 4)SRS4:TX2→L-PAMiF #2→ANT4; 5)SRS5: TX2→L-PAMiF #2 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→DP4T#2→L-FEM #1 TRX1→ANT5; 6)SRS6: TX2→L-PAMiF #2 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→DP4T#2→L-FEM #1 TRX2→ANT6; 7)SRS7: TX2→L-PAMiF #2 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→DP4T#2→L-FEM #2 TRX1→ANT7; 8) SRS8: TX2→L-PAMiF #2 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→DP4T#2→L-FEM #2 TRX2→ANT8.

[0058] For the 2T4R scheme, the SRS polling detection path is as follows: First TX11T4R SRS path: 1)SRS1:TX1→L-PAMiF #1→ANT1; 2)SRS2: TX1→L-PAMiF #1 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→L-PAMiF #2 TRX1→ANT3; 3) SRS3: TX1→L-PAMiF #1 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→DP4T#2→L-FEM #1 TRX1→ANT5; 4) SRS4: TX1→L-PAMiF #1 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→DP4T#2→L-FEM #2 TRX1→ANT7; Meanwhile, the second TX21T4R SRS path: 5)SRS5: TX2→L-PAMiF #2 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→L-PAMiF #1 TRX1→ANT2; 6)SRS6:TX2→L-PAMiF #2→ANT4; 7)SRS7: TX2→L-PAMiF #2 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→DP4T#2→L-FEM #1 TRX2→ANT6; 8)SRS8: TX2→L-PAMiF #2 SRS_TX→DP4T#1→DP4T#2→L-FEM #2 TRX2→ANT8; Specifically, in the above two simultaneous 2T4R schemes, SRS is not implemented in the only way described above, but also includes, but is not limited to, any permutation and combination. Theoretically, there exists a total number of combinations in which any 4 channels can be selected from the 8 receiving channels. The calculation formula is as follows: C(n,k) = n! / [k!(nk)!]; If n=8 and k=4, then C(8,4) = 8! / (4!×4!) = (8×7×6×5) / (4×3×2×1) =70, which is any of the 70 possible combinations.

[0059] The RF circuit provided in this application embodiment can support 8-channel MIMO reception. When performing 1T4R SRS signal detection for two channels, the TX SRS signal of any one channel first selects 4 of the 8 receiving channels for 1T4R SRS signal detection. The TX SRS signal of the second channel can be detected for SRS signal detection on the other 4 receiving channels. At this time, it does not affect the SRS signal detection performed by the first channel.

[0060] Specifically, the above 8MIMO and 8RX only list the antenna SRS polling detection methods and paths in 1T8R and 2T4R scenarios. It also includes any permutation and combination of less than 8R such as 1T6R, 1T5R, 2T3R, 2T2R, and 1T2R, which are not specifically limited here.

[0061] It should be noted that the various devices integrated into L-PAMIF and L-FEM, including the MIMO switches used in the SRS function, can be either inside the integrated devices or designed independently externally; no specific limitations are made here.

[0062] In some other possible implementations, such as Figure 8 As shown, the above-mentioned multiplexer module 123 includes a DP6T switch, which includes two sixth P ports and six sixth T ports. The second port SRS_TX of the two first front-end modules is connected to the two sixth P ports respectively, and the six sixth T ports are connected to the third port TX1 of the two first front-end modules and all transceiver ports of the two second front-end modules respectively.

[0063] This application also provides an electronic device that includes the radio frequency circuit described above.

[0064] In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic device includes, but is not limited to, customer premises equipment (CPE) such as routers and modems, USB interface devices (UFI), portable wireless hotspots (Mobile Wi-Fi, MiFi), data cards, mobile phones, computers, drones, vehicles, wearable devices, and other cellular data receiving terminal products.

[0065] In the embodiments of this application, by adopting the above-described radio frequency circuit, the downlink 8MIMO and 8RX schemes of SRS function can be fully supported, thereby increasing the downlink receiving rate of the terminal and improving the receiving performance of the product.

[0066] It should be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0067] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the system embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments.

Claims

1. A radio frequency circuit, characterized by The application relates to a radio frequency transceiver, a radio frequency processing module and a plurality of antennas. The radio frequency transceiver comprises a plurality of transmitting ports. The radio frequency processing module comprises a first front-end module, a second front-end module and a multi-path selection switch module. The plurality of antennas comprises a plurality of first antennas and a plurality of second antennas. The plurality of transmitting ports is connected with the first front-end module, the first front-end module is connected with the plurality of first antennas, the first front-end module is further connected with the second front-end module through the multi-path selection switch module, and the second front-end module is connected with the plurality of second antennas. The plurality of transmitting ports is connected with the second front-end module through the multi-path selection switch module, so that each transmitting port is independent of a plurality of second signal transmitting channels of the corresponding second front-end module, and the number of the plurality of second signal transmitting channels is greater than or equal to the number of the second antennas connected with the corresponding second front-end module, so that the channel sounding reference signal (SRS) polling transmission on the plurality of second antennas is realized in the SRS polling mode, and the SRSs of the respective transmitting ports do not conflict. The number of the transmitting ports is equal to the number of the second signal transmitting channels corresponding to each second front-end module, and the number of the first output ports of the multi-path selection switch module is equal to the sum of the numbers of the second signal transmitting channels of all the second front-end modules.

2. The radio frequency circuit of claim 1, wherein, The multi-path selection switch module comprises an mPnT switch assembly, the mPnT switch assembly comprises m first P ports and n first T ports, the m is the number of the transmitting ports, and the n is the sum of the numbers of the second signal transmitting channels of all the second front-end modules.

3. The radio frequency circuit of claim 1, wherein, The second ports of the first front-end module are respectively connected with the m first P ports in correspondence, and the n first T ports are respectively connected with the transceiving ports of the second front-end module in correspondence. When the number of the transmitting ports is two, the number of the first front-end modules is two, the multi-path selection switch module further comprises a DP4T switch and a DPnT switch, the DP4T switch comprises two second P ports and four second T ports, and the DPnT switch comprises two third P ports and n third T ports.

4. The radio frequency circuit of claim 1, wherein, The second ports of the two first front-end modules are respectively connected with the two second P ports in correspondence, two ports in the four second T ports are connected with the two third P ports in correspondence, the n third T ports are connected with the transceiving ports of all the second front-end modules in correspondence, and the remaining two second T ports in the four second T ports are connected with the third ports of the two first front-end modules in correspondence. When the number of the transmitting ports is two and the number of the antennas is eight, the number of the first front-end modules is two, the number of the second front-end modules is two, and each second front-end module comprises two transceiving ports.

5. The radio-frequency circuit of claim 1, wherein Each transmitting port is selectively connected with two first antennas in eight antennas through the first port of the corresponding first front-end module. ​ Each of the transmitting ports is also selectively connected to a corresponding second port of the corresponding first front-end module through a first port of the corresponding first front-end module, and the second port is connected to an input port of the multi-path selection switch module; Output ports of the multi-path selection switch module are respectively connected to each of the transceiving ports of the two second front-end modules; Each of the transceiving ports is connected to the remaining four second antennas of the eight antennas, so as to realize SRS polling transmission on the eight antennas without collision between channel sounding reference signals SRS of each transmitting port.

6. The radio frequency circuit of claim 5, wherein, The multi-path selection switch module comprises a first DP4T switch and a second DP4T switch, the first DP4T switch comprises two fourth P ports and four fourth T ports, and the second DP4T switch comprises two fifth P ports and four fifth T ports; Second ports of the two first front-end modules are respectively connected to the two fourth P ports, two ports of the four fourth T ports are respectively connected to the two fifth P ports, the remaining two ports of the four fourth T ports are respectively connected to third ports of the two first front-end modules, and the four fifth T ports are respectively connected to the transceiving ports of the two second front-end modules.

7. The radio frequency circuit of claim 5, wherein, The multi-path selection switch module comprises a DP6T switch, and the DP6T switch comprises two sixth P ports and six sixth T ports; Second ports of the two first front-end modules are respectively connected to the two sixth P ports, and the six sixth T ports are respectively connected to third ports of the two first front-end modules and all the transceiving ports of the two second front-end modules.

8. The radio-frequency circuit of claim 1, wherein The first front-end module comprises a first port, a second port and a third port; The multiple transmitting ports are selectively connected to the multiple first antennas through the first port of the first front-end module, the first port is connected to the second port, the second port of the first front-end module is connected to the third port (TX1) of the first front-end module through the multi-path selection switch module, and the third port is selectively connected to the multiple first antennas, so that multiple first signal transmission channels of each transmitting port to the corresponding first front-end module are independent of each other, and the number of the multiple first signal transmission channels is greater than or equal to the number of the first antennas connected to the corresponding first front-end module, so as to realize SRS polling transmission on the multiple first antennas without collision between channel sounding reference signals SRS of each transmitting port in a channel sounding reference signal SRS polling mode.

9. The radio frequency circuit of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The radio frequency transceiver further comprises multiple receiving ports; The multiple antennas are connected to corresponding receiving ports through signal receiving paths of the corresponding first front-end modules or second front-end modules, and all the signal receiving paths are independent of each other.

10. An electronic device, comprising: The radio frequency circuit comprises the radio frequency circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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