Communication method, chip, electronic equipment and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method, a chip, electronic equipment and a computer readable storage medium, and relates to the field of radio frequency communication. The method is applied to a chip, and the chip supports a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol which are different. The method comprises the following steps: in a first time slice, sending a first radio frequency signal of a first service through the radio frequency circuit by adopting a first communication protocol; in a second time slice, a second communication protocol is adopted, and a second radio frequency signal of a second service is sent through the radio frequency circuit; wherein the first time slice and the second time slice are in the same wake-up period of the radio frequency circuit, and the first service is different from the second service. According to the technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the invention, the communication power consumption of the chip can be reduced, so that the endurance time of the electronic equipment where the chip is located is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a communication method, a chip, an electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication technology, multi-mode chips supporting multiple communication protocols have emerged, such as those supporting Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and SparkLink communication protocols. In multi-mode chips, these multiple communication protocols typically share the same radio frequency circuitry.

[0003] Currently, to save power, chips typically enter a deep sleep state when not processing tasks and wake up in advance to initialize the radio frequency (RF) circuitry when needed. Furthermore, after completing its RF signal transmission task, the chip re-enters deep sleep. It's understandable that when a multi-mode chip operates using multiple communication protocols in parallel (i.e., multi-mode concurrent services), it typically transmits RF signals corresponding to each protocol in a time-sharing manner. This requires the chip to constantly wake from deep sleep to initialize the RF circuitry, resulting in higher power consumption and consequently shorter battery life for electronic devices equipped with this chip. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method, a chip, an electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium to solve the problem of high power consumption in multi-mode chips during concurrent multi-mode services in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a chip that supports different first and second communication protocols. The method includes: transmitting a first radio frequency (RF) signal for a first service using the first communication protocol within a first time slice; and transmitting a second RF signal for a second service using the second communication protocol within a second time slice; wherein the first and second time slices are within the same wake-up cycle of the chip, and the first and second services are different.

[0007] Since chips are typically in a deep sleep state when not processing services, and are woken up in advance to initialize the radio frequency circuits when services are needed, the communication method provided in this application allows multi-mode chips to transmit radio frequency signals of multiple different communication protocols after a single wake-up for radio frequency circuit initialization when processing services of different communication protocols in parallel. This reduces the chip's communication power consumption and improves the battery life of the electronic device in which the chip is located.

[0008] In some embodiments, the transmission period of the first radio frequency signal is a first period, the transmission period of the second radio frequency signal is a second period, and the ratio of the first period to the second period is N or 1 / N, where N is a positive integer. For example, N = 1, N = 2, or N = 3, etc.

[0009] It's understandable that when N=1, the chip can transmit radio frequency signals twice after each wake-up, resulting in higher energy efficiency. When N≥2, the chip transmits radio frequency signals once in some wake-up cycles and multiple times in others, also achieving some energy efficiency gains.

[0010] In some embodiments, when the ratio of the first period to the second period is 1 / N, and N ≥ 2 and is a positive integer, the method further includes:

[0011] During the first wake-up cycle, within the first time slice, a first radio frequency (RF) signal for the first service is transmitted using a first communication protocol; and within the second time slice, a second RF signal for the second service is transmitted using a second communication protocol. Subsequently, during N-1 consecutive second wake-up cycles following the first wake-up cycle, the first RF signal for the first service is transmitted using the first communication protocol, but the second RF signal is not transmitted.

[0012] For example, when N=5, the time required to send the first radio frequency signal of the first service 5 times is equivalent to the time required to send the second radio frequency signal of the second service once. Therefore, after sending the first and second radio frequency signals in the first wake-up cycle, the chip continues to send the first radio frequency signal in the next 4 wake-up cycles, but does not need to send the second radio frequency signal. This cycle continues.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first time slice and the second time slice are adjacent time slices. This method can process the second service in a timely manner, reduce the latency when processing the second service, and reduce the impact on the operation of the second service.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first and second communication protocols use the same communication frequency band, for example, both in the 2.4 GHz band. For example, the first communication protocol is Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and the second communication protocol is the StarScan protocol. Of course, the first and second communication protocols can also be other communication protocols, and this embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0015] In some embodiments, the maximum allowable latency T for the second service max The latency threshold must be greater than or equal to a given threshold, such as 100ms, 200ms, or 500ms. Alternatively, the priority of the second service must be lower than a preset priority. This method can reduce the impact of service scheduling on the operation of the second service, ensuring a better user experience.

[0016] In some embodiments, the chip is in a deep sleep state when not processing services, and the chip's wake-up cycle includes an idle state and a service state. Therefore, before transmitting the first radio frequency signal of the first service using the first communication protocol within the first time slice, the chip needs to switch from the deep sleep state to the idle state. Subsequently, within the first time slice, it switches from the idle state to the first service state and transmits the first radio frequency signal of the first service using the communication protocol in the first service state; then, it switches back to the idle state.

[0017] In some embodiments, during a second time slice, the second radio frequency signal of the second service is transmitted using a second communication protocol. Specifically, this includes: during the second time slice, switching from an idle state to a second service state, and transmitting the second radio frequency signal of the second service using the second communication protocol in the second service state. Subsequently, the second service state is switched back to an idle state; and then the idle state is switched back to a deep sleep state.

[0018] In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting a third radio frequency signal of a third service using a first communication protocol within a third time slice, wherein the first time slice and the third time slice are within the same wake-up cycle of the chip, and the first service is different from the third service.

[0019] The communication method provided in this application embodiment allows the chip to run different services with the same communication protocol in parallel after a single wake-up, which also reduces the chip's power consumption.

[0020] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a schematic diagram of a radio frequency communication device. This radio frequency communication device is applied to a chip and includes a first transmitting module and a second transmitting module.

[0021] The first transmitting module is used to transmit the first radio frequency signal of the first service using the first communication protocol within the first time slice.

[0022] The second transmitting module is used to transmit the second radio frequency signal of the second service using the second communication protocol within the second time slice. Furthermore, the first and second time slices are within the same wake-up cycle of the chip.

[0023] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a chip that supports different first and second communication protocols, and the chip is configured to perform the communication method shown in the first aspect above.

[0024] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, which includes a memory, a processor, and the chip shown in the third aspect above.

[0025] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the communication method shown in the first aspect above.

[0026] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product, which includes a computer program that, when run by a chip of an electronic device, causes the electronic device or the chip of the electronic device to implement the communication method shown in the first aspect above.

[0027] It is understood that the beneficial effects of the second to sixth aspects mentioned above can be found in the relevant descriptions in the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the wireless communication architecture of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the chip structure provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the radio frequency signal transmission process when the chip processes service A according to an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the device search process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a chip providing parallel processing of multi-mode services according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of chip parallel processing of multi-mode services provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 8A This is a schematic diagram of a chip processing multi-mode services in parallel, according to another embodiment of this application.

[0036] Figure 8B This is a schematic diagram illustrating parallel processing of multi-mode services by a chip, provided in other embodiments of this application;

[0037] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device providing an embodiment of this application that processes a first service and a third service in parallel;

[0038] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the radio frequency communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] It should be understood that in the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or". For example, A / B can mean A or B. The "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0041] In this embodiment, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0042] Wireless communication protocols are technical specifications for data transmission between wireless devices. They define aspects such as signal frequency bands, data transmission rates, data transmission methods, modulation methods, data formats, routing, address allocation, error detection, and correction. To adapt to different application scenarios, performance parameters, and security indicators, various types of wireless communication protocols have emerged. Examples include classic Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), SparkLink, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Near Field Communication (NFC), and ZigBee. The SparkLink protocol includes SparkLink Basic (SLB) and SparkLink Low Energy (SLE) protocols. This embodiment does not limit the wireless communication protocol. Applications in electronic devices can select the wireless communication protocol according to their needs.

[0043] It should be noted that wireless communication protocols provide the rules for wireless communication, while chips implement these rules through hardware such as processors, memory, and radio frequency circuits. The two work together to enable the wireless communication function of electronic devices.

[0044] The following is an exemplary description of the process by which electronic devices use chips to conduct wireless communication.

[0045] In this embodiment, the electronic device includes a terminal device, which can also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc. The terminal device can be a mobile phone, smart TV, wearable device, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal device.

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the wireless communication architecture of the electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. See also... Figure 1 As shown, the electronic device includes an application, a chip, and an antenna.

[0047] Applications (Apps) include various applications in electronic devices that require wireless communication, such as device finder apps, instant messaging apps, online audio and video playback apps, shopping apps, etc. This embodiment does not limit this. When an application has a wireless communication requirement, it sends communication information to the corresponding chip, or receives communication information from the chip. For example, this communication information can be communication data or communication signaling.

[0048] The chip is coupled to an antenna. After receiving communication information from the application, the chip converts it into communication signals according to the communication protocol and then transmits it through the antenna. Alternatively, the chip receives wireless signals through the antenna, converts them into communication information according to the communication protocol, and sends it to the application.

[0049] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 As shown, the chip includes a digital module and radio frequency (RF) circuitry. Details are as follows.

[0050] Digital moduleIt is used for signal processing between the application and the radio frequency (RF) circuitry. For example, after receiving communication information from the application, it encapsulates, encodes, and modulates it before transmitting it through the RF circuitry. Alternatively, after receiving a signal from the RF circuitry, it demodulates, decodes, and decapsulates it to restore it to data recognizable by the application before sending it to the application.

[0051] Radio frequency circuit It includes an RF transmitting circuit, an RF receiving circuit, and a switching switch. For example, the switching switch can be a single-pole double-throw switch, with one end connected to the antenna and the other end switching between the RF transmitting circuit and the RF receiving circuit.

[0052] The radio frequency (RF) receiving circuit is used for preprocessing RF signals, including receiving, amplifying, and converting them, and then sending the preprocessed RF signals to the digital module. Exemplarily, the RF receiving circuit includes a low-noise amplifier (LNA), a mixer, a variable-gain amplifier (VGA), and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The LNA amplifies the RF signal received by the antenna while introducing as little noise as possible. The mixer mixes the received RF signal with the local oscillator (LO) signal, converting it into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal or a baseband signal for subsequent processing. The LO signal can be provided by a phase-locked loop (PLL). The VGA amplifies the IF signal or baseband signal processed by the mixer. The VGA can adjust its gain within a predefined range (e.g., 0–10 dB or 10 dB–20 dB) based on feedback from the RF system. For example, if the VGA detects a signal that is too strong, it reduces the gain; if the VGA detects a signal that is too weak, it increases the gain until the signal strength is appropriate. An ADC is used to convert analog signals into digital signals, enabling digital modules to quickly process and analyze the received information.

[0053] The radio frequency (RF) transmission circuit converts communication information from the digital module into RF signals and transmits them via an antenna. Exemplarily, the RF transmission circuit includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) and a power amplifier (PA). The PLL is a closed-loop feedback system that responds quickly and adjusts the phase of the output signal to maintain synchronization with the phase of the input signal when the phase of the input signal changes. The PLL can also perform frequency modulation on the signal. The power amplifier amplifies the modulated signal to a sufficiently high power level for transmission.

[0054] The antenna is used to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals and serves as the interface between the RF circuitry and the external environment. When the switch connects the antenna and the RF receiving circuit, the chip receives and processes the RF signals. When the switch connects the antenna and the RF transmitting circuit, the chip processes and transmits the RF signals.

[0055] Based on the chip structure provided in the above embodiments, the working process of the chip will be described exemplarily below.

[0056] Chips operate in different states under different business scenarios, and these states generate different operating currents and thus different power consumptions. The following is a detailed explanation of each operating state of the chip.

[0057] (1) Deep sleep state

[0058] To conserve power, chips typically enter a deep sleep state when not processing data. In deep sleep, the chip's processor, memory, high-frequency clock, and radio frequency circuits are all turned off, with only a very limited number of basic functions remaining operational, such as timers or sensor wake-up functions.

[0059] The current a chip generates during deep sleep is called deep sleep current. Deep sleep current is typically low, resulting in lower overall chip power consumption and longer battery life for electronic devices. However, because the chip disables most functions during deep sleep, it needs to reload more information and configuration upon waking, leading to longer wake-up times and higher power consumption.

[0060] (2) Idle state

[0061] When the chip needs to process data, such as receiving or transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals, it needs to wake up from deep sleep and switch to RF ready state in advance. In RF ready state, the chip's processor, memory, and high-frequency clock will start running, and the related RF circuit hardware will be initialized and kept on to quickly respond to wireless communication needs. In this embodiment, the RF ready state is also called the idle state, meaning the chip has been woken up or the chip's RF circuit has finished initialization, but there is no immediate need to process data.

[0062] It should be noted that the initialization time of radio frequency circuits is usually several milliseconds or even tens of milliseconds. Therefore, even if the amount of data transmitted is very small, the power consumption due to the initialization of related hardware is much greater than the actual radio frequency energy transmitted.

[0063] The current flowing through a chip in its idle state is called idle current or RF-ready current. It is slightly higher than the deep sleep current, but much lower than the operating current in service mode. Therefore, although its power consumption is higher than that of deep sleep mode, it is still a low-power mode compared to service mode, reducing unnecessary energy waste.

[0064] (3) Business Status

[0065] When the chip receives and transmits radio frequency (RF) signals, it enters service mode. In service mode, various components in the RF circuit operate; for example, the power amplifier (PA) amplifies the RF signal, and the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converts the analog signal into a digital signal. All of these processes consume energy. Therefore, the chip's power consumption is relatively high in service mode.

[0066] The current a chip draws during operation is called the service current, which is typically much higher than the idle current and deep sleep current. Furthermore, the service current may be the same or different for different services, depending on the specific service requirements.

[0067] It should be noted that, in order to protect the radio frequency (RF) circuit, the chip typically switches from the service state to the idle state after completing a single RF signal transmission task, and then switches from the idle state to the deep sleep state as needed. In other words, the chip first switches from the service state to the RF preparation state, and then from the RF preparation state to the deep sleep state.

[0068] When an application has communication services, the chip typically sends radio frequency (RF) signals at preset intervals according to the application's service requirements. For example, if service A has a period of 100ms, the chip sends an RF signal every 100ms. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3As shown, the chip needs to perform a state switching process every 100ms, which is a "deep sleep state - idle state - service state - idle state - deep sleep state" process, or a "deep sleep - wake up - deep sleep" state switching process, until the application's communication service ends.

[0069] With the development of communication technology, not only do electronic devices generally support multiple communication protocols, but multi-mode chips have also gradually emerged based on single-mode chips. The following sections explain and describe each type of chip.

[0070] A single-mode chip is a chip that supports only one wireless communication protocol. In other words, the chip's digital module only supports signal processing between the application program and the radio frequency circuitry using a single communication protocol. Examples include a BT chip that only supports the BT protocol, a BLE chip that only supports the BLE protocol, a StarSpark chip that only supports the StarSpark protocol, and a Wi-Fi chip that only supports the Wi-Fi protocol. It's understandable that a single-mode chip can only perform a limited range of wireless communication functions. If an electronic device needs to implement multiple wireless communication functions, multiple single-mode chips are required, which increases the internal space occupied by the electronic device.

[0071] A multi-mode chip is a chip that can simultaneously support multiple wireless communication protocols. In other words, the chip's digital module can support signal processing between the application program and the radio frequency circuit using multiple communication protocols. These multiple wireless communication protocols can use the same or different frequency bands. For example, there is a dual-mode chip that can simultaneously support BT and BLE protocols, a chip that can simultaneously support BLE and StarSpark protocols (which can be represented as a BLE+StarSpark dual-mode chip), and a tri-mode chip that simultaneously supports BT, BLE, and Wi-Fi protocols (which can be represented as a BT+BLE+Wi-Fi tri-mode chip). It can be understood that multi-mode chips offer a richer range of communication functions and can reduce the space occupied by electronic devices.

[0072] For multi-mode chips, if the chip supports different first and second communication protocols, and one or more applications running in the electronic device require parallel use of these two communication protocols, then the chip will use the first and second communication protocols in a time-sharing manner for data transmission. For example, in a scenario where a user is searching for an offline device, the BLE+StarBlink dual-mode chip for the offline device needs to send BLE broadcasts and StarBlink broadcasts in parallel to accurately locate the offline device. Here, "offline" refers to an electronic device that cannot communicate with other electronic devices through wireless communication technologies such as cellular networks and wireless local area networks (WLANs) (e.g., Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology).

[0073] See Figure 4 As shown, phone A is equipped with a BLE+ StarFlash dual-mode chip and is the offline device being searched. Phone B represents other electronic devices near phone A; there can be one or more phones of phone B. Phone C is the user device; phone C and phone A are devices with the same account, for example, logged into the same Huawei account.

[0074] When mobile phone A is offline, it continuously sends BLE offline broadcasts and StarScan broadcasts via a BLE+StarScan dual-mode chip. BLE offline broadcasts refer to the electronic device continuously sending data packets through a broadcast channel without establishing a BLE connection; these data packets can be received by other scanning BLE devices. In this embodiment, the BLE offline broadcast carries encrypted device information and the public key of mobile phone A. Additionally, the StarScan broadcast is used by other electronic devices to discover and connect to mobile phone A via the StarScan protocol. Based on this, the user can determine the location of mobile phone C through two search phases.

[0075] In the first stage, phone C roughly locates phone A.

[0076] Based on mobile phone A continuously sending BLE offline broadcasts, after receiving the BLE offline broadcasts, mobile phone B obtains its own location information through the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and sends encrypted location information, along with mobile phone A's device information and public key carried in the BLE offline broadcast, to the server via Wi-Fi. It can be understood that since mobile phone B is near mobile phone A, its location information is essentially the same as mobile phone A's. Therefore, after receiving the information sent by mobile phone B, the server decrypts the information using the private key corresponding to the public key in the information, thus obtaining mobile phone A's device information. Furthermore, the server can determine mobile phone A's location information based on the location information sent by mobile phone B.

[0077] After receiving a user's request to locate phone A, phone C can obtain phone A's location information from the server. Based on this location information, the user can roughly locate phone A, such as determining the area and floor where phone A is located, and then reach the vicinity of phone A.

[0078] In the second stage, mobile phone C accurately locates mobile phone A.

[0079] Since phone A continuously sends out starlight broadcasts, once the user brings phone C to the vicinity of phone A, phone C can receive the starlight broadcasts and establish a starlight connection with phone A through these broadcasts. Subsequently, phone C can accurately locate the position of phone A using high accuracy distance measurement (HADM) and augmented reality (AR) trajectory fusion technology.

[0080] It can be seen that during the device search process described above, the BLE+StarFlash dual-mode chip in phone A operates in parallel using both the BLE and StarFlash protocols. In this case, see... Figure 5 As shown, this chip typically alternates between BLE and StarFlash protocols for multi-service concurrency. It can be seen that each time the chip transmits an RF signal using a different communication protocol, it needs to undergo a state switching process from "deep sleep state—idle state—service state—idle state—deep sleep state." This state switching operation is very frequent, especially the frequent transitions from deep sleep state to idle state. Therefore, in scenarios involving multi-service concurrency using different communication protocols, the chip's power consumption is usually high. Furthermore, in the aforementioned device search scenario, mobile phone A needs to maintain a searchable state for an extended period, thus imposing even stricter requirements on communication power consumption.

[0081] Therefore, this application provides a communication method for orderly scheduling concurrent services of different communication protocols, thereby reducing chip power consumption and improving the battery life of electronic devices.

[0082] Next, the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0083] Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. See also... Figure 6As shown, this method is applied to a multi-mode chip (hereinafter referred to as the chip) in an electronic device that supports different first and second communication protocols, and the first and second communication protocols share the same radio frequency circuit in the chip. The chip also supports processing a first service and a second service, where the first service communicates via the first communication protocol and the second service communicates via the second communication protocol. The method specifically includes the following steps S601 to S602.

[0084] S601, the chip of the electronic device transmits the first radio frequency signal of the first service using the first communication protocol within the first time slice.

[0085] Specifically, in S601, the chip of the electronic device, within the first time slice, uses the first communication protocol to transmit the first radio frequency signal of the first service through the radio frequency circuit of the chip.

[0086] S602, during the second time slice, the chip of the electronic device uses the second communication protocol to transmit the second radio frequency signal of the second service through the radio frequency circuit. The first and second time slices are within the same wake-up cycle of the chip, and the first and second services are different.

[0087] Specifically, in S602, the chip of the electronic device, during the second time slice, uses the second communication protocol to transmit the second radio frequency signal of the second service through the chip's radio frequency circuit. Typically, in this chip, the first and second communication protocols share the same radio frequency circuit to reduce chip size and cost.

[0088] In this embodiment, a time slice, also known as a processor slice, is a segment of central processing unit (CPU) time allocated at the micro level to each running process by the time-sharing operating system of the electronic device. For example, the electronic device allocates a first time slice to a process for a first service and a second time slice to a process for a second service. The time slices for different services can be the same or different.

[0089] Alternatively, a time slice can be interpreted as a period of time during which the chip transmits radio frequency (RF) signals. For example, the time period during which the chip transmits the first RF signal for a first service is the first time slice, or the time period during which the chip transmits the second RF signal for a second service is the second time slice. The time slices for different services can be the same or different.

[0090] In this embodiment, the chip's wake-up cycle can be interpreted as the time period from when the chip's radio frequency circuit is awakened from a deep sleep state to when it re-enters a deep sleep state. During the wake-up cycle, the radio frequency circuit can be in an idle state or a service state, or it can switch between an idle state and a service state, but it is not in a deep sleep state.

[0091] It is understandable that when the first time slice and the second time slice are in the same wake-up cycle, the chip's radio frequency circuit only needs to perform one wake-up initialization operation to send radio frequency signals for multiple services with different communication protocols (i.e., multi-mode services), which reduces the number of times the chip switches from deep sleep state to wake-up state and can reduce the power consumption of electronic devices.

[0092] In other words, the method provided in this application embodiment can complete the transmission of multiple radio frequency signals with different communication protocols after one radio frequency circuit initialization, thereby reducing the communication power consumption of electronic devices.

[0093] In some embodiments, for example Figure 4 In the device search scenario shown, mobile phone A processes the first service and the second service in parallel. The first service is sending a BLE offline broadcast, and the second service is sending a star flash broadcast. Based on the communication method shown in S601-S602 above, the process by which the chip of mobile phone A processes the first service and the second service is as follows: Figure 7 As shown.

[0094] See Figure 7 As shown, after a single wake-up, i.e., after entering the idle state from deep sleep, the chip in mobile phone A sends a BLE offline broadcast in the first time slot of the first wake-up cycle shown in the diagram, and sends a starlight broadcast in the second time slot, before entering deep sleep. Assuming the transmission periods of the BLE offline broadcast and the starlight broadcast are the same, after one transmission cycle, the RF circuit wakes up again and sends a BLE offline broadcast in the first time slot of the second wake-up cycle shown in the diagram, and sends a starlight broadcast in the second time slot, before entering deep sleep again. This cycle continues until at least one of the BLE offline broadcast service and the starlight broadcast service ends.

[0095] During a wake-up cycle, the chip's operation specifically includes the following steps (1) to (4):

[0096] (1) Switch from idle state to first service state and process the radio frequency signal transmission task of the first service. For example Figure 7 As shown, the system switches from idle state to BLE service state and handles BLE offline broadcast services.

[0097] (2) Switch from the first service state to the idle state in preparation for processing subsequent services. For example Figure 7As shown, the system switches from BLE service status to idle status in preparation for handling subsequent Starlight Broadcast services.

[0098] (3) Switch from idle state to second service state and process the radio frequency signal transmission task of the second service. For example Figure 7 As shown, the idle state switches to the Star Flash service state and processes the Star Flash broadcast service.

[0099] (4) Switching from the second service state to the idle state. For example Figure 7 As shown, the system switches from Star Flash service status to idle status.

[0100] Finally, the chip enters a deep sleep state from the idle state and waits to be woken up again.

[0101] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application do not restrict the order in which the chip processes the first service and the second service within a wake-up cycle. For example, there is no restriction on the order in which the BLE offline broadcast service and the Starlight broadcast service are processed.

[0102] The communication method provided in this application embodiment will be further described below in conjunction with the transmission frequency and transmission period of the first and second services. Here, the transmission period refers to the transmission time interval between two adjacent radio frequency signals of the same service.

[0103] (i) Both the first and second businesses are cyclical businesses.

[0104] For ease of description, the transmission period of the first radio frequency signal of the first service in this embodiment is referred to as the first period, which can be denoted as T1. Similarly, the transmission period of the second radio frequency signal of the second service is referred to as the second period, which can be denoted as T2. When the application notifies the chip to process the corresponding service, it will notify the chip of the transmission period of the service data, i.e., the transmission period of the radio frequency signal.

[0105] In some embodiments, the first period and the second period are integer multiples of each other, i.e., T1 / T2 = N or T1 / T2 = 1 / N, and N is a positive integer.

[0106] When N=1, the first cycle and the second cycle are the same. Therefore, the chip can schedule the RF signal transmission tasks of both the first and second services within the same wake-up cycle in each transmission cycle. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 8A As shown, after each wake-up, the chip sends radio frequency signals for the first and second services, then enters a deep sleep state, and waits for the next wake-up to send the radio frequency signals for the first and second services again.

[0107] When N≥2, the first cycle and the second cycle are multiples of each other. In this case, the chip can schedule the RF signal transmission tasks of the first and second services into the same wake-up cycle based on an interval of N-1 first cycles. For example, see T1 / T2=N and N=1 / 2. Figure 8B As shown, the chip wakes up according to the first cycle. After the first wake-up, it sends the first radio frequency (RF) signal for the first service and the second RF signal for the second service, then enters a deep sleep state. Subsequently, after the second wake-up, it sends the first RF signal for the first service but not the second RF signal for the second service, then enters a deep sleep state. Then, after the third wake-up, it sends the first RF signal for the first service and the second RF signal for the second service, then enters a deep sleep state. Then, after the fourth wake-up, it sends the first RF signal for the first service but not the second RF signal for the second service, then enters a deep sleep state. This cycle continues.

[0108] In other embodiments, the first period and the second period are not integer multiples of each other. In this case, when the chip processes the corresponding service according to the first period and the second period respectively, if the transmission time of the first radio frequency signal and the transmission time of the second radio frequency signal happen to be adjacent time slices within a certain period, then the chip transmits the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal within the same wake-up cycle to minimize the power consumption of the electronic device.

[0109] (ii) The first business is a periodic business, and the second business is a one-time business.

[0110] In this embodiment, if the chip of the electronic device receives a second service that only needs to be transmitted once during the process of transmitting the first radio frequency signal of the first service according to the first transmission cycle, the next signal transmission process of the second service and the first service can be scheduled into the same wake-up cycle to save the power consumption of the electronic device as much as possible.

[0111] In summary, although the transmission cycles and frequencies of the first and second services are different, the chips of electronic devices try to schedule the first and second services into the same wake-up cycle as much as possible to reduce the power consumption of the RF circuit when switching from deep sleep to idle state and improve the battery life of electronic devices.

[0112] In some embodiments, the chip of an electronic device can determine whether to schedule different services within the same wake-up cycle based on the priority of the services. For example, if the chip of an electronic device receives a second service that needs to be processed in parallel while processing a first service, and if the priority of the second service is lower than a preset priority, i.e., the priority of the second service is not high, then the chip can schedule the first service and the second service within the same wake-up cycle as much as possible to avoid affecting the processing of the second service.

[0113] In other embodiments, the chip of the electronic device can be configured according to the maximum latency T allowed by the service. max This is used to determine whether different services should be scheduled within the same wake-up cycle. For example, if an electronic device's chip receives a second service that needs to be processed in parallel while processing the first service, and if the second service's T... max If the latency is greater than or equal to the latency threshold (e.g., 50ms, 100ms, 200ms, etc.), then the chip can schedule the first and second services to be within the same wake-up cycle as much as possible, so as to avoid affecting the processing of the second service.

[0114] Optionally, the chip in the electronic device can also process the first and third services in parallel, where the first and third services use the same communication protocol, namely the first communication protocol. In this case, the chip can schedule the first and third services to be processed within the same wake-up cycle. For example, Figure 9 As shown, within the same wake-up cycle, the chip transmits the first radio frequency signal of the first service in the first time slice and the third radio frequency signal of the third service in the third time slice. Additionally, the chip can also transmit the second radio frequency signal of the second service in the second time slice of the same wake-up cycle.

[0115] For example, an electronic device can process a first service and a third service in parallel. The first service is maintaining a connection with a Bluetooth headset via BLE, and the third service is maintaining a connection with a smartwatch via BLE. The BLE link parameters for both services are identical. Maintaining the connection refers to ensuring that the Bluetooth connection remains active and stable for a certain period after it is established, through mechanisms such as heartbeat signals and keep-alive strategies. To conserve power when processing the first and third services in parallel, the electronic device's chip can schedule them into the same wake-up cycle.

[0116] It should be understood that the sequence number of each step in the above embodiments does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0117] Based on the same concept, as an implementation of the above method, this application provides a radio frequency communication device. This device embodiment corresponds to the aforementioned method embodiment. For ease of reading, this device embodiment will not repeat the details of the aforementioned method embodiment one by one, but it should be clear that the device in this embodiment can implement all the contents of the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0118] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the radio frequency communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. See also... Figure 10 As shown, the radio frequency communication device is applied to the chip and includes a first transmitting module 1001 and a second transmitting module 1002.

[0119] The first transmitting module 1001 is used to transmit the first radio frequency signal of the first service using the first communication protocol within the first time slice.

[0120] The second transmitting module 1002 is used to transmit the second radio frequency signal of the second service using the second communication protocol within the second time slice. The first and second time slices are within the same wake-up cycle of the chip.

[0121] Optionally, when the ratio of the first period to the second period is 1 / N, and N ≥ 2 and is a positive integer:

[0122] The first transmitting module 1001 is further configured to transmit the first radio frequency signal of the first service using the first communication protocol during the first time slice of the first wake-up cycle; and to transmit the first radio frequency signal of the first service using the first communication protocol during N-1 consecutive second wake-up cycles after the first wake-up cycle.

[0123] The second transmitting module 1002 is further configured to transmit the second radio frequency signal of the second service using the second communication protocol during the second time slice of the first wake-up cycle. However, it should be noted that the second transmitting module 1002 does not transmit the second radio frequency signal of the second service using the second communication protocol during the N-1 consecutive second wake-up cycles following the first wake-up cycle.

[0124] The radio frequency communication device provided in this application embodiment enables the chip of an electronic device to schedule services of different communication protocols for processing in the same wake-up cycle, thereby reducing the power consumption of the electronic device and improving its battery life.

[0125] This application also provides an electronic device, which includes a chip, which includes a radio frequency circuit and supports different first and second communication protocols, and is configured to perform the communication methods shown in the above embodiments.

[0126] This application also provides a chip, which includes a processor, a memory, and a radio frequency circuit. The memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the communication methods in the above embodiments through the radio frequency circuit.

[0127] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the communication methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0128] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program that, when run by an electronic device, enables the electronic device to implement the communication methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0129] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0130] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. 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 (DR RAM).

[0131] In the embodiments provided in this application, the division of each framework or module is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple frameworks or modules may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0132] Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0133] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0134] The terminology used in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the various embodiments of this application. The singular forms “a” and “the” used in the embodiments of this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0135] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0136] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method is applied to a chip supporting different first and second communication protocols, and comprises the following steps: sending a first radio frequency signal of a first service in a first time slice by using the first communication protocol; sending a second radio frequency signal of a second service in a second time slice by using the second communication protocol; wherein the first and second time slices are in a same wake-up period of the chip, and the first and second services are different.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, A sending period of the first radio frequency signal is a first period, a sending period of the second radio frequency signal is a second period, and a ratio of the first period to the second period is N or 1 / N, where N is a positive integer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, When the ratio of the first period to the second period is 1 / N, N≥2 and is a positive integer, the method further comprises the following steps: sending the first radio frequency signal of the first service in a first time slice by using the first communication protocol, and sending the second radio frequency signal of the second service in a second time slice by using the second communication protocol in a first wake-up period; and sending the first radio frequency signal of the first service by using the first communication protocol in N-1 second wake-up periods successively after the first wake-up period.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first and second time slices are adjacent time slices.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first communication protocol is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, and the second communication protocol is a star flash protocol.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: The second service allows the maximum delay T max greater than or equal to the delay threshold; or, a priority of the second service is lower than a preset priority.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The chip is in a deep sleep state when no service is processed, and the chip comprises an idle state and a service state in the wake-up period. Before the step of sending the first radio frequency signal of the first service in the first time slice by using the first communication protocol, the method further comprises the following step: switching from the deep sleep state to the idle state. The step of sending the first radio frequency signal of the first service in the first time slice by using the first communication protocol comprises the following steps:

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, switching from the idle state to a first service state in the first time slice, and sending the first radio frequency signal of the first service by using the first communication protocol in the first service state. The method further comprises the following step:

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, switching from the first service state to the idle state. The step of sending the second radio frequency signal of the second service in the second time slice by using the second communication protocol comprises the following steps: switching from the idle state to a second service state in the second time slice, and sending the second radio frequency signal of the second service by using the second communication protocol in the second service state.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The method further comprises the following steps: switching from the second service state to the idle state; switching from the idle state to the deep sleep state. The method further comprises the following step: sending a third radio frequency signal of a third service in a third time slice by using the first communication protocol, wherein the first and third time slices are in a same wake-up period of the chip, and the first and third services are different.

11. A chip, characterized by The chip supports a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol which are different, and the chip is configured to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1-10.

12. An electronic device, comprising: The chip according to claim 11, and a processor and a memory.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is executed by the processor to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1-10.

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