Automatic gain control method and device, wireless communication device and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic gain control method and device. The automatic gain control method comprises: acquiring a historical RSSI associated with a link identifier, and determining a first gain value for a receiver based on the historical RSSI before receiving a current data packet corresponding to the link identifier, the first gain value being used for receiving at least a part of the current data packet. According to the method disclosed by the invention, the time for using the maximum gain in receiving can be reduced, and a receiving path is prevented from being continuously in large-gain receiving, so that the power consumption overhead can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to automatic gain control methods, automatic gain control devices, wireless communication devices, and electronic devices. Background Technology

[0002] The purpose of automatic gain control (AGC) in a receiver is to automatically select an appropriate gain based on the different strengths of the input signals, so that the signal amplitude of each module in the receiving path is kept within a certain range that is neither saturated nor too small. If the gain is too large, signal saturation will occur when a strong input signal is received, resulting in spectral spread and signal distortion. If the gain is too small, the noise superposition of the receiving circuit itself will reduce the signal-to-noise ratio of the received signal when a weak input signal is received.

[0003] In existing technologies, traditional automatic gain control (AGC) is typically performed upon receiving each packet. For example, data packets are received starting with the maximum gain value that covers the sensitivity power of the receiver chip; however, using high gain reception leads to high power consumption. For instance, in the packet structure of burst communication systems, a certain length of preamble or training sequence time is reserved at the beginning of the packet for AGC during reception. Taking Bluetooth as an example, the preamble lengths for Classic Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy are 4μs and 8μs, respectively. However, achieving accurate gain control within such a short time places extremely stringent requirements on the gain switching speed of the receiver circuit or module, as well as the design of the AGC method. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to overcome the aforementioned deficiencies in the prior art and to provide an automatic gain control method, an automatic gain control device, a wireless communication device, and an electronic device.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an automatic gain control method is provided, comprising: acquiring a historical RSSI associated with a link identifier; and determining a first gain value for a receiver based on the historical RSSI associated with the link identifier before receiving a current data packet corresponding to the link identifier, wherein the first gain value is used to receive at least a portion of the current data packet.

[0006] In some examples, historical RSSI is based on the RSSI of historical packets that were successfully transmitted before the current packet, corresponding to the link identifier.

[0007] In some examples, historical packets include one or more packets that are temporally adjacent to the current packet.

[0008] In some examples, determining the first gain value for the receiver based on historical RSSI includes: determining the first gain value for the receiver based on historical RSSI and packet reception parameters.

[0009] In some examples, determining the first gain value for the receiver includes: selecting a gain configuration from a set of gain configurations based on historical RSSI and packet reception parameters, wherein each gain configuration in the set corresponds to a combination of gain parameters for each module in the receiver and corresponds to a corresponding RSSI range; the first gain value corresponds to the selected gain configuration.

[0010] In some examples, the first gain value is used to receive the entire current data packet.

[0011] In some examples, the method further includes: if the current data packet is included in a first portion preceding the packet header and is available for automatic gain control, then during the reception of the first portion of the current data packet, performing automatic gain control on the received first portion using a first gain value as an initial gain value or using the first gain value as a maximum gain value to determine a second gain value for the receiver; wherein the second gain value is used to receive at least a portion of the current data packet following the first portion.

[0012] In some examples, the second gain value is less than or equal to the first gain value.

[0013] In some examples, the method further includes: during the reception of the first part of the current data packet, detecting whether the receiver is saturated; if receiver saturation is detected and the current gain value of the receiver is greater than the minimum gain value, determining to reduce the current gain value of the receiver.

[0014] In some examples, the method further includes: during the reception of the first part of the current data packet, detecting whether the receiver is saturated; if the receiver is not saturated, maintaining the current gain value of the receiver unchanged.

[0015] In some examples, determining to reduce the receiver's current gain value involves selecting a gain configuration from a set of gain configurations such that the gain value corresponding to the selected gain configuration is less than the receiver's current gain value.

[0016] In some examples, the second gain value is used to receive the entirety after the first portion.

[0017] In some examples, the method further includes: if the current data packet includes a second portion following the packet header that can be used for automatic gain control, then after successfully receiving the packet header based on the second gain value, determining an estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of subsequent portions following the second portion based on the packet header; during the reception of the second portion of the current data packet, determining a third gain value for the receiver based on the estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of subsequent portions following the second portion, wherein the third gain value is used to receive at least a portion following the second portion of the current data packet.

[0018] In some examples, determining a third gain value for the receiver based on an estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of subsequent portions after the second part includes: selecting a gain configuration from a set of gain configurations based on an estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of subsequent portions after the second part, such that the gain value determined based on the selected gain configuration is a gain value that enables successful reception of subsequent portions.

[0019] In some examples, the method further includes: if the current data packet includes a second portion that can be used for automatic gain control after the packet header, then after successfully receiving the packet header based on the first gain value, determining an estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of the subsequent portion after the second portion based on the packet header; during the reception of the second portion of the current data packet, determining a fourth gain value for the receiver based on the estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of the subsequent portion after the second portion, wherein the fourth gain value is used to receive at least a portion of the current data packet after the second portion.

[0020] In some examples, determining the fourth gain value for the receiver based on the estimated RSSI of the current packet and the configuration of the subsequent portions after the second part includes: selecting a gain configuration from a set of gain configurations based on the estimated RSSI of the current packet and the configuration of the subsequent portions after the second part, such that the gain value determined based on the selected gain configuration is a gain value that enables successful reception of the subsequent portions.

[0021] In some examples, the method further includes: determining an estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet based on at least a portion of the successfully received current data packet; and updating the historical RSSI associated with the link identifier based on the estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet.

[0022] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, an automatic gain control apparatus is provided, comprising: an acquisition module configured to acquire historical RSSI associated with a link identifier; and a determination module configured to determine a first gain value for a receiver based on the historical RSSI associated with the link identifier before receiving a current data packet corresponding to the link identifier, wherein the first gain value is used to receive at least a portion of the current data packet.

[0023] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a wireless communication apparatus is provided, comprising: a receiver; and an automatic gain control device according to the aforementioned second aspect, for determining and controlling the gain value of the receiver.

[0024] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon; and a processor for executing the computer-executable instructions in the memory to implement the automatic gain control method according to the first aspect above.

[0025] According to the method and apparatus of this disclosure, the time spent using maximum gain during reception can be reduced, and the reception path can be kept in high-gain reception continuously, thereby reducing power consumption. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will be better understood through the following detailed description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals denote the same or similar parts.

[0027] Figure 1 An exemplary data packet sequence according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0028] Figure 2 An exemplary data packet structure according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0029] Figure 3 An exemplary automatic gain control method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0030] Figure 4 The first-stage automatic gain control steps according to an embodiment of this disclosure are shown.

[0031] Figure 5 The second-level automatic gain control steps according to an embodiment of this disclosure are shown.

[0032] Figure 6 The third-level automatic gain control steps according to an embodiment of this disclosure are shown.

[0033] Figure 7 An exemplary automatic gain control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0034] Figure 8An exemplary wireless communication device according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0035] Figure 9 An exemplary electronic device according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0036] Figure 10 An exemplary computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0037] Figure 11 An exemplary computer program product according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this disclosure, the disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but this is not intended to limit the disclosure. The various embodiments in this disclosure can be independent embodiments or combined with other embodiments in this disclosure, and this disclosure does not limit them in this way.

[0039] Automatic gain control (AGC) is a key technology in wireless communication used to stabilize signal strength. It automatically adjusts the gain according to signal strength, avoiding signal overload or loss and improving communication quality. Traditionally, there are various implementation schemes for AGC. For example, one type of AGC implementation sets up one or more peak detection modules in the receiving path. If the module detects saturation during the preamble or training sequence of received packets, it controls the module gain to decrease according to certain rules and order. Another type of AGC implementation sets up one or more energy or amplitude detection modules in the receiving path. During the preamble or training sequence of received packets, the output of the detection modules is compared with one or more preset thresholds to adjust the selection gain according to certain rules. Yet another type of AGC implementation sets up one or more peak detection modules, a packet start detection module, and an average energy or amplitude calculation module in the receiving path. During the preamble or training sequence of received packets, saturation detection is first used to ensure that the path is not saturated. Then, in the unsaturated state, the average energy or amplitude of the received signal is estimated. Finally, the selection gain is adjusted according to certain rules based on the average energy or amplitude.

[0040] However, traditional automatic gain control schemes have drawbacks.

[0041] For example, in a scheme where a peak detection module controls gain by monitoring module saturation in the receiving path, since covering the weak signal corresponding to the receiving sensitivity usually requires starting reception from maximum gain, if the signal is not saturated at the beginning of packet reception, this type of scheme will maintain a relatively high gain for continuous reception. On the one hand, high gain usually means higher power consumption; on the other hand, if devices operating at other frequencies outside the band start communicating during packet reception, the saturation caused by the out-of-band signal may also lead to a decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio of the useful signal within the band, ultimately resulting in communication failure.

[0042] For example, another type of scheme controls the selection gain by estimating the average energy or amplitude of the received signal. This scheme can control the selection gain to be smaller but sufficient for the entire reception process, optimizing the performance against out-of-band burst interference that occurs only in the middle of the packet reception process. However, this type of scheme has two drawbacks. First, it is highly dependent on the accuracy of the packet start detection module. For communication systems with low demodulation thresholds, it is usually difficult to detect the start of a packet very accurately under low signal-to-noise ratio. Second, estimating the average energy based on the preamble or training sequence takes longer than peak detection. Moreover, for low-data-rate, low-bandwidth communication systems like Bluetooth, the processing time of the digital front-end in the receiver and the delay of channel filtering usually accumulate to several microseconds. The total length of the preamble for Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy is only 4μs and 8μs, respectively. Therefore, the loop delay makes it difficult to implement this type of scheme that estimates the average energy or amplitude and then finally selects and adjusts the gain.

[0043] This disclosure provides a scheme for one-level or multi-level automatic gain control by providing automatic gain control before receiving data packets and optional automatic gain control during receiving data packets, thereby solving the aforementioned problems in the prior art.

[0044] refer to Figure 1An exemplary data packet sequence according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. As shown, the data packet sequence P includes multiple data packets P(NK), ..., P(N-1), P(N) that are successfully received sequentially in time. The data packet sequence P may correspond to a link identifier (LID), such as a link sequence number. The link identifier is used to identify the connection transmission between the receiving device and the transmitting device. For example, when the receiving device receives data from multiple transmitting devices (e.g., connected to multiple transmitting devices via the same or different wireless access technologies), different link identifiers can be used to represent data from different transmitting devices. For example, the receiving device may be connected to multiple transmitting devices via Bluetooth technology. As mentioned above, conventional automatic gain control is typically performed upon receiving each packet, for example, starting the reception of data packets with the maximum gain value that covers the sensitivity power of the receiving chip, and accurate gain control adjustment needs to be achieved in a short time. This places extremely stringent requirements on the gain switching speed of the receiving circuit or module and the design of the automatic gain control method.

[0045] refer to Figure 2 An exemplary data packet structure 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, which can be applied to, for example... Figure 1 The structure of data packets in the data packet sequence P. Packet structure 1 may include a packet header 12, and packet header 12 may include configurations of subsequent parts (such as the payload 14 of the data packet) after packet header 12, such as length, modulation scheme, bandwidth parameters, etc. For example, optionally, packet structure 1 may include a first part 11 before packet header 12, and the first part 11 may be used to implement automatic gain control. For example, the first part 11 may include, but is not limited to, a preamble (such as a preamble in the Bluetooth standard) and / or a training sequence (such as a training sequence in the Wi-Fi standard). For example, optionally, packet structure 1 may include a second part 13 after packet header 12, and the second part 13 may be used to implement automatic gain control. For example, the second part 13 may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a training sequence, a guard interval, or a physical layer block interval time, or a combination thereof. It should be understood that Figure 2 The packet structure 1 is for illustrative purposes only and is not restrictive. For example, the data packet described in this disclosure may include one or more of the first part 11 and the second part 13, or may not include the first part 11 and the second part 13.

[0046] Unlike existing technologies, this disclosure proposes automatic gain control (or first-level control) in a first stage S1 before receiving data packets, optional automatic gain control (or second-level control) in a second stage S2 during the reception of the first part 11 of data packets, and optional automatic gain control (or third-level control) in a third stage during the reception of the second part 13 of data packets, as described below. Figures 3-6 As described.

[0047] refer to Figure 3 An exemplary automatic gain control method 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Method 20 includes step 21, optional steps 22 and 23, and step 24. Method 20 can be, for example, by… Figure 7 Automatic gain control device 300 Figure 8 Wireless communication device 400 Figure 9 The electronic device 500 is executed.

[0048] In step 21, a first-stage automatic gain control is performed before receiving the current data packet to determine a first gain value for the receiver. The first-stage packet gap automatic gain control refers to the gain control performed during the gap time (i.e., the first stage S1) between two packets before and after the packet to be received (e.g., data packet P(N)) actually begins.

[0049] Optionally, in step 22, a second level of automatic gain control is performed based on the gain output of the first level of automatic gain control. The second level of automatic gain control refers to the gain adjustment performed during the first part 11 of the data packet (i.e., the second stage S2). This level of gain control may not be performed when the data packet does not have or does have this first part.

[0050] Optionally, in step 23, a third level of automatic gain control is performed based on the gain output of the first or second level of automatic gain control. The third level of automatic gain control refers to gain adjustment performed during the second part of the data packet (i.e., the third stage S3). This level of gain control may not be performed when the data packet does not have or does have this second part.

[0051] In step 24, based on the received current data packet, control information for automatic gain control of the next data packet is determined.

[0052] according to Figure 3 Method 20, by performing automatic gain control before receiving the current data packet, avoids receiving each data packet starting from maximum gain, reducing the time spent using maximum gain during reception and preventing the reception path from continuously operating at high gain, thereby reducing power consumption. Specifically, for receivers such as Bluetooth receivers that require windowed reception in each reception slot, traditional automatic gain control methods typically result in continuous high-gain reception during slots when the master device is not transmitting packets. Method 20 allows the reception process to use lower reception gain, corresponding to lower power consumption.

[0053] Furthermore, if a second-level automatic gain control is implemented, since the first-level (coarse) gain control has already been completed before packet reception begins, the number of adjustments required for the second-level fine-tuning of the gain after packet reception begins will be less than in the traditional method of adjusting only after packet reception begins. This reduces the requirements on the receiver circuit gain switching and the response speed of the automatic gain control method to complete gain control within the stringent time of the preamble or training sequence.

[0054] Furthermore, if the third-level automatic gain control is implemented, the gain can be adjusted more finely. Even if a large interference suddenly occurs at other out-of-band channel frequencies in the later part of the received packet, it will usually not cause the receiver to saturate. Therefore, it has excellent anti-out-of-band burst interference capability.

[0055] refer to Figure 4 The first-stage automatic gain control step 21 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 As shown, step 22 includes sub-steps 220-221.

[0056] In sub-step 210, the historical Received Signal Strength (RSSI) associated with the Link Identifier (LID) is obtained. The Link Identifier (LID) is used to indicate the links supported by the link layer and can be, for example, a link sequence number. For example, the Link Identifier (LID) is stored in association with historical RSSI, so that historical RSSI can be read from the RSSI storage module managed by the sub-link. The RSSI storage module managed by the sub-link refers to setting up an independent RSSI storage unit for each link to store the RSSI data of packets previously received by that link, based on the total number of links supported by the chip's link layer.

[0057] In substep 211, before receiving the current data packet (e.g., data packet P(N)) corresponding to the link identifier, a first gain value for the receiver is determined based on the historical RSSI associated with the link identifier.

[0058] For example, historical RSSI is based on the RSSI of historical data packets that were successfully transmitted before the current data packet, corresponding to the link identifier. Historical data packets may include one or more data packets P(Nk) to P(N-1) that are temporally adjacent to the current data packet P(N). That is, historical RSSI can be the RSSI of the previous data packet P(N-1) for that link identifier, a smoothed RSSI of the most recent data packets P(Nk) to P(N-1) before that link identifier, or the RSSI of the most recent data packets P(Nk) to P(N-1) for that link identifier. In this way, the RSSI of previously successfully received historical data packets can generate control information for automatic gain control of the current data packet.

[0059] In some examples, substep 211 may include determining a first gain value for the receiver based on historical RSSI and received packet parameters. For example, received packet parameters may indicate transmission mode information, such as transmission rate, for packets associated with the link. For example, received packet parameters may be determined before the receiving device communicates with the transmitting device, for example, through relevant negotiation or other means.

[0060] In some examples, sub-step 211 may further include: selecting a gain configuration from a gain configuration set based on historical RSSI and received packet parameters, wherein each gain configuration in the gain configuration set corresponds to a combination of gain parameters for each module in the receiver and corresponds to a corresponding RSSI interval, wherein a first gain value corresponds to the selected gain configuration. For example, a gain table (or gain configuration set) can be set up, containing multiple gain configurations (or gain levels) with receive link gains from high to low. Each gain configuration corresponds to a combination of gain parameters for each module in the receiver (i.e., corresponds to a corresponding gain value) and can cover the corresponding RSSI interval. The maximum and minimum RSSI covered are different; for example, the maximum gain configuration can cover the receiver chip sensitivity power, and the minimum gain configuration can cover the maximum input power supported by the receiver chip. For example, a gain configuration with a certain coverage margin can be selected from the gain table based on historical RSSI to ensure successful reception of the current data packet. For example, assuming the acquired RSSI is -60dBm and the first-level packet gap automatic gain control coverage margin is designed to be 20dB, a gain configuration that can successfully receive -80dBm is selected from the gain table as the gain control result. This gain configuration corresponds to the corresponding gain value (e.g., the first gain value). For example, the RSSI intervals corresponding to different gain configurations may not overlap, or they may overlap. When the RSSI intervals corresponding to different gain configurations overlap, the gain control result can be based on the historical RSSI and the smaller gain configuration that meets the coverage margin requirement (e.g., the minimum gain configuration to reduce power consumption).

[0061] In some examples, the first gain value can be used to receive the entire current data packet.

[0062] In some examples, the first gain value can be used to receive a portion of the current data packet, with fine gain control performed during the reception of the current data packet.

[0063] Figure 4 Step 21 implements the first-level packet gap automatic gain control, which allows coarse gain control to be performed during the gap between two packets before the actual start of receiving packets. This avoids receiving each data packet from the maximum gain, reduces the time spent using the maximum gain during reception, and prevents the receiving path from continuously receiving at a high gain, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0064] refer to Figure 5 The second-level automatic gain control step 22 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 5 As shown, step 22 includes sub-steps 220-221.

[0065] In substep 220, if the current data packet includes a header (e.g., Figure 2 The first part (e.g., the part before the header 12) that can be used for automatic gain control Figure 2 In the first part (11), during the reception of the first part of the current data packet, an automatic gain control is performed on the received first part, using a first gain value as the initial gain value or the first gain value as the maximum gain value, to determine a second gain value for the receiver. For example, the first part includes at least a portion of a preamble or training sequence. In this step, various automatic gain control techniques in the art can be used to implement gain control, which are not limited herein, as long as the condition of using the first-level gain control result as the initial gain or maximum gain is met, thus differing from traditional automatic gain control techniques.

[0066] In some examples, the second gain value can be further constrained to be less than or equal to the first gain value; that is, in this step, fine gain control ensures that a higher gain configuration (or gain level) is not used. This further reduces the time spent using higher gain in reception.

[0067] Optionally, in sub-step 221, during the reception of the first portion of the current data packet, it is detected whether the receiver is saturated. If receiver saturation is detected and the current gain value of the receiver is greater than the minimum gain value, it is determined to reduce the current gain value of the receiver. Conversely, if receiver saturation is detected, the current gain value of the receiver is kept unchanged.

[0068] In some examples, determining to reduce the receiver's current gain value may include selecting a gain configuration from a set of gain configurations such that the gain value corresponding to the selected gain configuration is less than the receiver's current gain value. For example, several saturation monitoring modules can be configured in the receiving RF analog or digital module. When saturation is detected in the receiving link, the next lower gain level is selected from the gain table described above, starting from the initial gain, until the receiving link is no longer saturated or the gain level is reduced to the lowest level in the gain table. For example, reducing the gain level can be done step-by-step in descending order of gain levels.

[0069] according to Figure 5In step 22, since coarse gain control has been completed before packet reception begins, the number of adjustments required for the second-stage fine gain adjustment after packet reception begins will be less than in the traditional method of adjusting only after packet reception begins. This reduces the requirements on the receiver circuit gain switching and the response speed of the automatic gain control method to complete gain control within the critical time of the preamble or training sequence.

[0070] refer to Figure 6 The third-level automatic gain control step 23 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 6 As shown, step 23 includes sub-steps 230-231.

[0071] In substep 230, if the current data packet includes a header (e.g., ...), Figure 2 The second part (e.g., after the header 12) that can be used for automatic gain control Figure 2 In the second part (13), after successfully receiving the packet header based on the first gain value (i.e., coarse gain control was used previously) or the second gain value (i.e., coarse gain control + fine gain control was used previously), the estimated RSSI of the current data packet is determined based on the packet header, and the subsequent parts after the second part (e.g., Figure 2 The configuration of the payload of the data packets (14). For example, the second part may include, but is not limited to, at least some of the following: training sequence, guard interval, physical layer block interval time, or a combination thereof.

[0072] In substep 231, during the reception of the second portion of the current data packet, a gain value for the receiver is determined based on the estimated RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of subsequent portions after the second portion, wherein the gain value is used for receiving at least a portion after the second portion of the current data packet. For example, the gain value may be a third gain value (if coarse gain control + fine gain control was used previously) or a fourth gain value (if coarse gain control was used previously).

[0073] In some examples, substep 231 may include: selecting a gain configuration from a set of gain configurations based on an estimated RSSI value of the current packet and the configuration of subsequent portions after the second portion, such that the gain value determined based on the selected gain configuration is a gain value that enables successful reception of subsequent portions. For example, a gain configuration may be selected from the set of gain configurations such that the gain value determined based on the selected gain configuration is a smaller gain value (e.g., minimum gain value, second minimum gain value, etc., to reduce power consumption) that enables successful reception of subsequent portions. For example, in the third-level packet automatic gain control, an accurate gain is selected from a gain table for reception of subsequent portions of the packet based on the RSSI value of the current packet calculated from the packet header and the demodulated configuration information (such as modulation scheme and bandwidth parameters). It should be understood that this accurate gain may be greater than, equal to, or less than the gain control result of the previous level.

[0074] according to Figure 6 Step 23 enables fine-grained gain control. By selecting a gain that is as small as possible and can be correctly received, the subsequent part of the packet can be received. Even if a large interference suddenly occurs at other out-of-band channel frequencies during the reception of the subsequent part of the packet, it will usually not cause the receiver to saturate. Therefore, it has excellent anti-out-of-band burst interference capability.

[0075] Back Figure 3 Step 24 may include: determining an estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet based on at least a portion of the successfully received current data packet, and updating the historical RSSI associated with the link identifier based on the estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet. For example, the update process may include replacing the historical RSSI of the previous data packet with the estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet, or smoothing and filtering the estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet and the historical RSSIs of the previous few data packets to generate a new historical RSSI. For example, the estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet may be determined based on the header or other portions of the current data packet.

[0076] In step 24, the new RSSI of the received packet can be stored in the RSSI storage module managed by the link. Based on the link identifier corresponding to the currently received packet, the new RSSI result is stored in the RSSI storage unit allocated to that link identifier. If each link's RSSI storage unit stores only one RSSI value, one implementation of the storage process is to directly overwrite the previously stored old RSSI with the new RSSI. Another implementation is to calculate a smoothed RSSI result by combining the new RSSI and the stored old RSSI, and then overwrite the previously stored old RSSI with this smoothed RSSI result. If each link's RSSI storage unit can store the RSSI values ​​of multiple packets, a cyclic overwrite storage method can be used, always storing the RSSI values ​​of the most recent packets for that link.

[0077] refer to Figure 7 An exemplary automatic gain control device 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The device 300 includes an acquisition module 310 and a determination module 320.

[0078] The acquisition module 310 is configured to acquire historical RSSI associated with the link identifier.

[0079] The determining module 320 is configured to determine a first gain value for the receiver based on the historical RSSI associated with the link identifier before receiving the current data packet corresponding to the link identifier, wherein the first gain value is used to receive at least a portion of the current data packet.

[0080] For example, the determination module 320 can be configured to perform any one or more steps or sub-steps of the various methods described above, which will not be described in detail hereafter.

[0081] For example, the automatic gain control device 300 may also include an application module configured to apply the determined gain configuration or gain value to the receiver.

[0082] refer to Figure 8 An exemplary wireless communication device 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The device 400 includes a receiver 410 and an automatic gain control device 420, the automatic gain control device 420 being, for example... Figure 7 Automatic gain control device 300.

[0083] refer to Figure 9 An exemplary electronic device 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Device 500 includes a memory 510 storing computer-executable instructions and a processor 520 coupled to the memory 510. Processor 520 is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions in the memory 510 to implement the automatic gain control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0084] refer to Figure 10 An exemplary computer-readable storage medium 600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, having stored thereon computer-executable instructions 610 (when executed by a processor) for implementing the automatic gain control method described in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] refer to Figure 11 An exemplary computer program product 700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, including computer-executable instructions 710 for implementing the automatic gain control method described in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0086] It should be understood that although qualifying terms such as "first," "second," and "third" have been used in the preceding description, these qualifying terms are only used to more clearly describe the technical solution and distinguish similar concepts. These qualifying terms themselves cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0087] The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the above examples (or one or more thereof) can be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments can be used by those skilled in the art when reading the above description. Furthermore, in the above specific embodiments, various features may be grouped together to simplify this disclosure. Features disclosed that are not claimed in the claims are not essential to any claim. Rather, the subject matter of this disclosure may be less than all the features of a particular disclosed embodiment.

[0088] Therefore, the claims are incorporated herein by way of example or embodiment, wherein each claim is an independent, separate embodiment, and these embodiments are contemplated to be combined with each other in various combinations or arrangements. The scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by reference to the appended claims and the full scope of their equivalents.

[0089] Depending on the context, as used herein, the term “if” may optionally be interpreted as meaning “when or in the presence of…” or “in response to determining…” or “in response to detecting.” Similarly, depending on the context, the phrase “if it is determined…” or “if [the stated condition or event] is detected” may optionally be interpreted as meaning “in the presence of determining…” or “in response to determining…” or “in response to detecting [the stated condition or event]” or “in response to detecting [the stated condition or event].”

Claims

1. An automatic gain control method, comprising: Retrieve the historical RSSI associated with the link identifier; Before receiving the current data packet corresponding to the link identifier, a first gain value for the receiver is determined based on the historical RSSI associated with the link identifier; The first gain value is used to receive at least a portion of the current data packet.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The historical RSSI is based on the RSSI of historical data packets that were successfully transmitted before the current data packet in time, corresponding to the link identifier.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The historical data packets include one or more data packets that are temporally adjacent to the current data packet.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Based on the historical RSSI, determining the first gain value for the receiver includes: Based on the historical RSSI and packet reception parameters, a first gain value for the receiver is determined.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, Determining the first gain value for the receiver includes: Based on the historical RSSI and packet reception parameters, a gain configuration is selected from the gain configuration set, wherein each gain configuration in the gain configuration set corresponds to a combination of gain parameters for each module in the receiver and corresponds to the corresponding RSSI range; The first gain value corresponds to the selected gain configuration.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first gain value is used to receive the entirety of the current data packet.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: If the current data packet includes a first portion preceding the packet header that can be used for automatic gain control, then during the reception of the first portion of the current data packet, the first gain value is used as an initial gain value or the first gain value is used as a maximum gain value to perform automatic gain control on the received first portion to determine a second gain value for the receiver. The second gain value is used to receive at least a portion of the current data packet after the first portion.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The second gain value is less than or equal to the first gain value.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: During the reception of the first portion of the current data packet, it is detected whether the receiver has become saturated; If saturation of the receiver is detected and the current gain of the receiver is greater than the minimum gain, then it is determined to reduce the current gain of the receiver.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising: During the reception of the first portion of the current data packet, it is detected whether the receiver has become saturated; If the receiver is not detected to be saturated, the current gain value of the receiver is kept unchanged.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein, Determining to reduce the current gain value of the receiver includes: Select a gain configuration from the set of gain configurations such that the gain value corresponding to the selected gain configuration is less than the current gain value of the receiver.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The second gain value is used to receive all of the data after the first portion.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising: If the current data packet includes a second part that can be used for automatic gain control after the packet header, then after successfully receiving the packet header based on the second gain value, the estimated value of the RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of the subsequent part after the second part are determined based on the packet header; During the reception of the second portion of the current data packet, a third gain value for the receiver is determined based on an estimated RSSI value of the current data packet and the configuration of subsequent portions after the second portion, wherein the third gain value is used to receive at least a portion of the current data packet after the second portion.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Based on the estimated RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of subsequent portions after the second portion, determining the third gain value for the receiver includes: Based on the estimated RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of the subsequent portion after the second portion, a gain configuration is selected from the set of gain configurations such that the gain value determined based on the selected gain configuration is a gain value that enables successful reception of the subsequent portion.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: If the current data packet includes a second part that can be used for automatic gain control after the packet header, then after successfully receiving the packet header based on the first gain value, the estimated value of the RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of the subsequent part after the second part are determined based on the packet header. During the reception of the second portion of the current data packet, a fourth gain value for the receiver is determined based on an estimated RSSI value of the current data packet and the configuration of subsequent portions after the second portion, wherein the fourth gain value is used to receive at least a portion of the current data packet after the second portion.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, Based on the estimated RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of subsequent parts after the second part, determining the fourth gain value for the receiver includes: Based on the estimated RSSI of the current data packet and the configuration of the subsequent portion after the second portion, a gain configuration is selected from the set of gain configurations such that the gain value determined based on the selected gain configuration is a gain value that enables successful reception of the subsequent portion.

17. The automatic gain control method according to claim 1, further comprising: Based on at least a portion of the currently received data packets, an estimate of the RSSI of the current data packet is determined; Based on the estimated RSSI of the current data packet, the historical RSSI associated with the link identifier is updated.

18. An automatic gain control device, comprising: The acquisition module is configured to acquire historical RSSI associated with the link identifier; The determining module is configured to determine a first gain value for the receiver based on the historical RSSI associated with the link identifier before receiving the current data packet corresponding to the link identifier, wherein the first gain value is used to receive at least a portion of the current data packet.

19. A wireless communication device, comprising: Receiver; The automatic gain control device according to claim 18 is used to determine and control the gain value of the receiver.

20. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: Memory, on which computer-executable instructions are stored; A processor for executing the computer-executable instructions in the memory to implement the automatic gain control method according to any one of claims 1-17.

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