WIFI chip, communication device and wireless communication system

Abstract

This application provides a WIFI chip, a communication device, and a wireless communication system. The WIFI chip includes: a first number of TX functional unit groups, a second number of RX functional unit groups, a second number of switching switch groups, a first number of TX processing modules, a second number of RX processing modules, and a digital baseband unit, wherein the first number is less than the second number; the first terminal of each of the second number of switching switch groups is connected to multiple antenna interfaces for different WIFI antennas, the second terminal of each of the second number of switching switch groups is connected to the first terminal of each of the first number of TX functional unit groups, and the control terminal of each of the second number of switching switch groups is connected to the digital baseband unit; the digital baseband unit is configured to perform antenna selection using time-division multiplexing, and sends commands to the control terminals of the first number of switching switch groups in the second number of switching switch groups according to the first number of target antennas selected each time, so as to activate the circuits of the first number of switching switch groups.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates primarily to the field of WiFi chip technology, and more particularly to a WiFi chip, communication device, and wireless communication system. Background Technology

[0002] Current WiFi chips support simultaneous operation of dual-band and dual-antenna systems, of which 2 The chip architecture includes two transceiver links: one connecting the first antenna and the digital baseband, and the other connecting the second antenna and the digital baseband. These two links are implemented independently in hardware, enabling simultaneous data transmission and reception in the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz frequency bands, thus achieving high uplink and downlink speeds. However, some application scenarios may require different uplink and downlink speeds. For example, in video applications such as televisions or set-top boxes, only a good downlink speed is typically needed for high-definition video transmission, while the uplink speed requirement is not high. Using the existing chip in this case would result in wasted hardware resources, a large chip area, and high cost. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a WIFI chip, communication device and wireless communication system that can solve the problem that existing chips cannot adapt to application scenarios with different uplink and downlink speeds, thus causing a waste of hardware resources.

[0004] In a first aspect, a WIFI chip is provided, comprising: a first number of TX functional unit groups, a second number of RX functional unit groups, a second number of switching switch groups, a first number of TX processing modules, a second number of RX processing modules, and a digital baseband unit, wherein each of the TX functional unit groups includes multiple TX functional units of different frequency bands, each switching switch group includes multiple switching switches corresponding to the different frequency bands, and each RX functional unit group includes multiple RX functional units corresponding to the different frequency bands, wherein the first number is less than the second number; Each of the second number of switch groups has its first terminal connected to a plurality of antenna interfaces for different WIFI antennas. Each of the second number of switch groups has its second terminal connected to the first terminal of the first number of TX functional unit groups. Each of the second number of switch groups has its control terminal connected to the digital baseband unit. Each of the first number of TX functional unit groups has its second terminal connected to the first terminal of the first number of TX processing modules in a one-to-one correspondence. Each of the first number of TX processing modules has its second terminal connected to the digital baseband unit. The first end of each of the second number of RX functional unit groups is connected to multiple antenna interfaces for different WIFI antennas, the second end of each of the second number of RX functional unit groups is connected to the first end of the second number of RX processing modules in a one-to-one correspondence, and the second end of the second number of RX processing modules is connected to the digital baseband unit. The digital baseband unit is configured to perform antenna selection in a time-division multiplexing manner, and send instructions to the control terminals of the first number of switching groups in the second number of switching groups according to the first number of target antennas selected each time, so as to enable the first number of switching groups to conduct the circuit.

[0005] In some embodiments, the TX processing module includes a TX filtering unit and a digital-to-analog converter unit. The first end of the TX filtering unit serves as the first end of the TX processing module, the second end of the TX filtering unit is connected to the first end of the digital-to-analog converter unit, and the second end of the digital-to-analog converter unit is connected to the digital baseband unit. The RX processing module includes an RX filtering unit and an analog-to-digital conversion unit. The first end of the RX filtering unit serves as the first end of the RX processing module, and the second end of the RX filtering unit is connected to the first end of the analog-to-digital conversion unit. The second end of the analog-to-digital conversion unit is connected to the digital baseband unit.

[0006] In some embodiments, the antenna selection step includes: estimating the channel quality factor of each of the different WIFI antennas in each antenna switching cycle, and selecting the first number of antennas that meet the channel quality conditions as the target antennas according to the channel quality factors.

[0007] In some embodiments, the channel quality factor includes signal-to-noise ratio and out-of-band interference intensity.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first number is specifically 1, and the second number is specifically 2.

[0009] In some embodiments, the different WIFI antennas specifically include a first antenna and a second antenna; wherein the step of selecting the first number of antennas that meet the channel quality condition as the target antennas according to the channel quality factor includes: When the signal-to-noise ratio of the first antenna is higher than the signal-to-noise ratio of the second antenna by a first threshold, and the bandwidth interference intensity of the first antenna is lower than the bandwidth interference intensity of the second antenna by a second threshold, the digital baseband unit uses the first antenna as the target antenna. When the signal-to-noise ratio of the second antenna is higher than the first threshold value compared to the signal-to-noise ratio of the first antenna, and the bandwidth interference intensity of the second antenna is lower than the second threshold value compared to the bandwidth interference intensity of the first antenna, the digital baseband unit uses the second antenna as the target antenna.

[0010] In some embodiments, each TX functional unit group specifically includes a TX functional unit in the 2.4 GHz band and a second TX functional unit in the 5.8 GHz band; and each RX functional unit group specifically includes an RX functional unit in the 2.4 GHz band and a second RX functional unit in the 5.8 GHz band.

[0011] In a second aspect, a WIFI chip is provided, comprising: a first number of RX functional unit groups, a second number of TX functional unit groups, a second number of switching switch groups, a second number of TX processing modules, a first number of RX processing modules, and a digital baseband unit, wherein each of the RX functional unit groups includes multiple RX functional units of different frequency bands, each switching switch group includes multiple switching switches corresponding to the different frequency bands, and each TX functional unit group includes multiple TX functional units corresponding to the different frequency bands, wherein the first number is less than the second number; Each of the second number of switch groups has its first terminal connected to multiple antenna interfaces for different WIFI antennas. Each of the second number of switch groups has its second terminal connected to the first terminal of the first number of RX functional unit groups. Each of the second number of switch groups has its control terminal connected to the digital baseband unit. Each of the first number of RX functional unit groups has its second terminal connected to the first terminal of the first number of RX processing modules in a one-to-one correspondence. Each of the first number of RX processing modules has its second terminal connected to the digital baseband unit. The first end of each of the second number of TX functional unit groups is connected to the antenna interface of different WIFI antennas, the second end of each of the second number of TX functional unit groups is connected to the first end of the second number of TX processing modules in a one-to-one correspondence, and the second end of the second number of TX processing modules is connected to the digital baseband unit. The digital baseband unit is configured to perform antenna selection in a time-division multiplexing manner, and send instructions to the control terminals of the first number of switching groups in the second number of switching groups according to the first number of target antennas selected each time, so as to enable the first number of switching groups to conduct the circuit.

[0012] In some embodiments, the TX processing module includes a TX filtering unit and a digital-to-analog converter unit. The first end of the TX filtering unit serves as the first end of the TX processing module, the second end of the TX filtering unit is connected to the first end of the digital-to-analog converter unit, and the second end of the digital-to-analog converter unit is connected to the digital baseband unit. The RX processing module includes an RX filtering unit and an analog-to-digital conversion unit. The first end of the RX filtering unit serves as the first end of the RX processing module, and the second end of the RX filtering unit is connected to the first end of the analog-to-digital conversion unit. The second end of the analog-to-digital conversion unit is connected to the digital baseband unit.

[0013] In some embodiments, the antenna selection step includes: estimating the channel quality factor of each of the different WIFI antennas in each antenna switching cycle, and selecting the first number of antennas whose channel quality meets the conditions as the first number of target antennas based on the channel quality factor.

[0014] In some embodiments, the channel quality factor includes signal-to-noise ratio and out-of-band interference intensity.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first number is specifically 1, and the second number is specifically 2.

[0016] In some embodiments, the different WIFI antennas specifically include a first antenna and a second antenna; wherein the step of selecting the first number of antennas that meet the channel quality condition as the first number of target antennas according to the channel quality factor includes: When the signal-to-noise ratio of the first antenna is higher than the signal-to-noise ratio of the second antenna by a first threshold, and the bandwidth interference intensity of the first antenna is lower than the bandwidth interference intensity of the second antenna by a second threshold, the digital baseband unit uses the first antenna as the target antenna. When the signal-to-noise ratio of the second antenna is higher than the first threshold value compared to the signal-to-noise ratio of the first antenna, and the bandwidth interference intensity of the second antenna is lower than the second threshold value compared to the bandwidth interference intensity of the first antenna, the digital baseband unit uses the second antenna as the target antenna.

[0017] In some embodiments, each TX functional unit group specifically includes a TX functional unit in the 2.4 GHz band and a second TX functional unit in the 5.8 GHz band; and each RX functional unit group specifically includes an RX functional unit in the 2.4 GHz band and a second RX functional unit in the 5.8 GHz band.

[0018] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, comprising: The WIFI chip described in the first and second aspects; Multiple WIFI antennas; and, Multiple signal splitters are connected to one antenna interface of the WIFI chip and one WIFI antenna, respectively. The signal splitters are used to split the WIFI signal from one WIFI antenna into wireless signals of different frequency bands.

[0019] Fourthly, a wireless communication system is provided, which includes the communication device described in the third aspect.

[0020] Compared with related technologies, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: This application achieves an asymmetric transmit / receive architecture for the WiFi chip through an asymmetric design of a first number of TX functional unit groups and a second number of RX functional unit groups, as well as the antenna selection and switching control functions of the digital baseband unit. This fully adapts to the uplink and downlink rate requirements of actual application scenarios. Compared with related technologies, under the premise of meeting the uplink and downlink rate requirements, it can reduce the hardware resources required for at least one complete uplink or downlink transmission link, thus effectively saving chip area and reducing chip cost. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of this application; they are incorporated into and constitute a part of this application. The drawings illustrate embodiments of this application and, together with this specification, serve to explain the principles of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a first type of WIFI chip exemplarily shown in this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the antenna connection architecture applicable to the first type of WIFI chip exemplarily shown in this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a second type of WIFI chip exemplarily shown in this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the antenna connection architecture applicable to the second type of WIFI chip exemplarily shown in this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device exemplarily shown in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not impose any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein may be implemented in ways other than those described below.

[0023] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0024] References to "an embodiment," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiments may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but not every embodiment needs to include specific features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an exemplary embodiment, whether explicitly described or not, those skilled in the art will recognize that such a feature, structure, or characteristic affects its connection to other embodiments.

[0025] It should be understood that while the terms “first” and “second”, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. The term “and / or” as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0026] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some implementations," "specific embodiment," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0027] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used herein also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “possessing,” “including,” and / or “comprising,” when used herein, specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. In the description of the invention, unless otherwise stated, “a plurality” means two or more.

[0028] In the embodiments of this application, the TX functional unit refers to the unit used to implement the radio frequency front-end processing function of the transmit link, and the RX functional unit refers to the unit used to implement the radio frequency front-end processing function of the receive link.

[0029] The following will be combined with the appendix Figure 1 and attached Figure 2 The first type of WIFI chip shown in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0030] refer to Figure 1 This illustrates the first type of Wi-Fi chip, suitable for application scenarios with low uplink speed requirements and high downlink speed requirements. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the exemplary WIFI chip 1 includes: a first number of TX functional unit groups 10 ( Figure 1 The example shows one), and a second number of RX functional unit groups 30 ( Figure 1 Two examples are shown in the middle, and a second number of switching switch groups 20 are shown in the middle. Figure 1 The example shows two TX processing modules 40, a first number of RX processing modules 50, and a digital baseband unit 60. Each TX function unit group 10 includes multiple TX function units for different frequency bands, each switching switch group 20 includes multiple switching switches corresponding to different frequency bands, and each RX function unit group 30 includes multiple RX function units corresponding to different frequency bands. The first number is less than the second number.

[0031] In TX functional unit group 10, multiple TX functional units in different frequency bands can be understood as these TX functional units being used for radio frequency front-end processing of wireless signals in different frequency bands, such as TX functional units in the 2.4GHz band and TX functional units in the 5.8GHz band. The number of switching switches included in switching unit group 20 is the same as the number of TX functional units included in TX functional unit group 10. For example, if a TX functional unit group 10 includes one TX functional unit in the 2.4GHz band and one TX functional unit in the 5.8GHz band, then a switching unit group 20 specifically includes two switching switches. Similarly, the number of RX functional units included in RX functional unit group 30 is also the same as the number of TX functional units included in TX functional unit group 10. For example, if a TX functional unit group 10 includes one TX functional unit in the 2.4GHz band and one TX functional unit in the 5.8GHz band, then an RX functional unit group 30 specifically includes two RX functional units, that is, one RX functional unit in the 2.4GHz band and one RX functional unit in the 5.8GHz band.

[0032] The first end of each of the second number of switch groups 20 is connected to a plurality of antenna interfaces 70 for different WIFI antennas. The second end of each of the second number of switch groups 20 is connected to the first end of each of the first number of TX function unit groups 10. The control end of each of the second number of switch groups 20 is connected to a digital baseband unit 60. The second end of each of the first number of TX function unit groups 10 is connected to the first end of each of the first number of TX processing modules 40 in a one-to-one correspondence. The second end of the first number of TX processing modules 40 is connected to the digital baseband unit 60.

[0033] In this embodiment, the antenna interface 70 can be understood as one or more nodes for electrically connecting an external WIFI antenna to the WIFI chip. In an exemplary embodiment, the antenna interface 70 is located on the left edge of the WIFI chip to allow an external WIFI antenna to connect to the WIFI chip as described above.

[0034] The first end of each of the second number of RX functional unit groups 30 is connected to the antenna interface 70 of different WIFI antennas, the second end of each of the second number of RX functional unit groups 30 is connected to the first end of each of the second number of RX processing modules 50 in a one-to-one correspondence, and the second end of the second number of RX processing modules 50 is connected to the digital baseband unit 60.

[0035] The digital baseband unit 60 is configured to perform antenna selection in a time-division multiplexing manner, and send instructions to the control terminal of the first number of switching groups 20 in the second number of switching groups 20 according to the first number of target antennas selected each time, so as to turn on the circuit of the first number of switching groups 20.

[0036] In this embodiment, the WIFI chip includes a first number of TX functional unit groups 10, a second number of switching switch groups 20, and a digital baseband unit 60. Since the digital baseband unit 60 is configured to perform antenna selection using time-division multiplexing, only the first number of switching switch groups 20 can be active at any given time, thus supporting M (M being the first number) signal transmissions without sacrificing antenna selectivity. Furthermore, the WIFI chip also includes a second number of RX functional unit groups 30, which can support N (N being the second number) signal receptions. Signal reception and signal transmission can simultaneously process wireless signals from different frequency bands, thus forming an M... Compared with related technologies, the N (where M is less than N) asymmetric architecture for transmitting and receiving can reduce the hardware resources required for at least one complete uplink transmission link while still meeting the uplink and downlink rate requirements. Therefore, it can effectively save chip area and reduce chip cost.

[0037] To facilitate understanding, we will take an example where the first number is 1 and the second number is 2, and then provide a more detailed explanation of the architecture of the WIFI chip.

[0038] See Figure 2 The exemplary WIFI chip 1 specifically includes: a TX functional unit group, two RX functional unit groups, two switching switch groups, a TX processing module, two RX processing modules, and a digital baseband unit. The TX functional unit group includes a TX functional unit 101 for the 2.4GHz band and a second TX functional unit 102 for the 5.8GHz band. The two RX functional unit groups each include an RX functional unit 301 for the 2.4GHz band and a second RX functional unit 302 for the 5.8GHz band. The two switching switch groups each include a switching switch 201 corresponding to the 2.4GHz band and a switching switch 202 corresponding to the 5.8GHz band.

[0039] Each of the two switch groups has its first terminal connected to one of the two antenna interfaces 70, its second terminal connected to the first terminal of the TX functional unit group, and its control terminal connected to the digital baseband unit 60. The second terminal of the TX functional unit group is connected to the first terminal of the TX processing module, and the second terminal of the TX processing module is connected to the digital baseband unit 60. Furthermore, each of the two RX functional units has its first terminal connected to one of the two antenna interfaces 70, its second terminal is connected to the first terminal of each of the two RX functional unit groups, and the two RX processing modules are connected to the digital baseband unit.

[0040] The digital baseband unit 60 is configured to perform antenna selection using time-division multiplexing and, based on the selected target antenna each time, sends a command to the control terminal of a corresponding switching group to activate the circuit of that switching group. Specifically, the exemplary WIFI chip has two antenna interfaces 70 for connecting a first antenna and a second antenna, respectively. The first antenna and the second antenna are each connected to their respective antenna interface 70 via a signal splitter, such as a duplexer, for splitting the WIFI signal into a 2.4GHz wireless signal and a 5.8GHz wireless signal. Thus, after each antenna selection, the digital baseband unit 60 activates one of the two switching groups, thereby creating only one TX path and two RX paths at any given time.

[0041] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 2As shown, the TX processing module includes a TX filtering unit 401 and a digital-to-analog converter 402. The first end of the TX filtering unit 401 serves as the first end of the TX processing module, and the second end of the TX filtering unit 401 is connected to the first end of the digital-to-analog converter 402. The second end of the digital-to-analog converter 402 is connected to the digital baseband unit 60. The RX processing module includes an RX filtering unit 501 and an analog-to-digital converter 502. The first end of the RX filtering unit 501 serves as the first end of the RX processing module 50, and the second end of the RX filtering unit 501 is connected to the first end of the analog-to-digital converter 502. The second end of the analog-to-digital converter 502 is connected to the digital baseband unit 60.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment, the antenna selection step includes: estimating the channel quality factor of each different WIFI antenna in each antenna switching cycle, and selecting a first number of antennas that meet the channel quality conditions as target antennas based on the channel quality factor.

[0043] In one exemplary embodiment, the channel quality factor includes the signal-to-noise ratio and out-of-band interference intensity.

[0044] In this embodiment, the method of estimating the channel quality factor is not specifically limited. In an exemplary embodiment, the step of designating a first number of antennas that meet the channel quality conditions as target antennas based on the channel quality factor includes: when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first antenna is higher than a first threshold compared to the SNR of the second antenna, and the bandwidth interference intensity of the first antenna is lower than a second threshold compared to the bandwidth interference intensity of the second antenna, the digital baseband unit 60 designates the first antenna as the target antenna. When the SNR of the second antenna is higher than a first threshold compared to the SNR of the first antenna, and the bandwidth interference intensity of the second antenna is lower than a second threshold compared to the bandwidth interference intensity of the first antenna, the digital baseband unit 60 designates the second antenna as the target antenna.

[0045] Figure 2 The implementation principle and beneficial effects of the WIFI chip shown are as follows: Figure 1 The WIFI chips shown are the same, so they will not be described again here.

[0046] The following will be combined with the appendix Figure 3 and attached Figure 4 The second type of WIFI chip shown in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0047] refer to Figure 3 This illustrates a second type of Wi-Fi chip, suitable for applications with high uplink speed requirements and low downlink speed requirements. For example... Figure 3As shown, the exemplary WIFI chip 3 includes: a first number of RX functional unit groups 30, a second number of TX functional unit groups 10, a second number of switching switch groups 20, a first number of RX processing modules 50, a second number of TX processing modules 40, and a digital baseband unit 60. Each RX functional unit group 30 includes multiple RX functional units of different frequency bands, each switching switch group 20 includes multiple switching switches corresponding to different frequency bands, and each TX functional unit group 10 includes multiple TX functional units corresponding to different frequency bands. The first number is less than the second number.

[0048] In the RX functional unit group 30, the multiple RX functional units of different frequency bands can be understood as these RX functional units being used to perform radio frequency front-end processing on wireless signals of different frequency bands, such as the RX functional unit of the 2.4GHz band, the RX functional unit of the 5.8GHz band, etc. The number of switches included in the switching unit group 20 is the same as the number of RX functional units included in the RX functional unit group 30. For example, if an RX functional unit group 30 includes only one RX functional unit in the 2.4GHz band and one RX functional unit in the 5.8GHz band, then a switching unit group 20 specifically includes two switching units. Similarly, the number of TX functional units included in the TX functional unit group 10 is also the same as the number of RX functional units included in the RX functional unit group 30. For example, if an RX functional unit group 30 includes only one RX functional unit in the 2.4GHz band and one RX functional unit in the 5.8GHz band, then a TX functional unit group 1020 specifically includes two TX functional units, that is, one TX functional unit in the 2.4GHz band and one TX functional unit in the 5.8GHz band.

[0049] The first end of each of the second number of switch groups 20 is connected to a plurality of antenna interfaces 70 for different WIFI antennas. The second end of each of the second number of switch groups 20 is connected to the first end of each of the first number of RX functional unit groups 30. The control end of each of the second number of switch groups 20 is connected to a digital baseband unit 60. The second end of each of the first number of RX functional unit groups 30 is connected to the first end of each of the first number of RX processing modules 50 in a one-to-one correspondence. The second end of the first number of RX processing modules 50 is connected to the digital baseband unit 60.

[0050] In this embodiment, the antenna interface 70 can be understood as one or more nodes for electrically connecting an external WIFI antenna to the WIFI chip. In an exemplary embodiment, the antenna interface 70 is located on the left edge of the WIFI chip to allow an external WIFI antenna to connect to the WIFI chip as described above.

[0051] The first end of each of the second number of TX functional unit groups 10 is connected to the antenna interface 70 of different WIFI antennas, the second end of each of the second number of TX functional unit groups 10 is connected to the first end of each of the second number of TX processing modules 40 in a one-to-one correspondence, and the second end of the second number of TX processing modules 40 is connected to the digital baseband unit 60.

[0052] The digital baseband unit 60 is configured to perform antenna selection in a time-division multiplexing manner, and send instructions to the control terminal of the first number of switching groups 20 in the second number of switching groups 20 according to the first number of target antennas selected each time, so as to turn on the circuit of the first number of switching groups 20.

[0053] In this embodiment, the WIFI chip includes a second number of TX functional unit groups 10, which can support N (N being the second number) signal transmissions. Furthermore, the WIFI chip also includes a first number of RX functional unit groups 30, a second number of switching switch groups 20, and a digital baseband unit 60. Since the digital baseband unit 60 is configured to perform antenna selection using time-division multiplexing, only the first number of switching switch groups 20 will be active at any given time, thus supporting M (M being the first number) signal receptions without sacrificing antenna selectivity. The signal reception and signal transmission can simultaneously handle wireless signals in the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz frequency bands. Therefore, the WIFI chip forms an N... Compared with related technologies, the M (where M is less than N) asymmetric architecture for transmitting and receiving can reduce the hardware resources required for at least one complete downlink transmission link while still meeting the uplink and downlink rate requirements. Therefore, it can effectively save chip area and reduce chip cost.

[0054] To facilitate understanding, we will take an example where the first number is 1 and the second number is 2, and then provide a more detailed explanation of the architecture of the WIFI chip.

[0055] See Figure 4 The exemplary WIFI chip 3 specifically includes: an RX functional unit group, two TX functional unit groups, two switching switch groups, two TX processing modules, an RX processing module, and a digital baseband unit 60. The RX functional unit group includes an RX functional unit 301 for the 2.4GHz band and a second RX functional unit 302 for the 5.8GHz band. The two TX functional unit groups each include a TX functional unit 101 for the 2.4GHz band and a second TX functional unit 102 for the 5.8GHz band. The two switching switch groups each include a switching switch 201 corresponding to the 2.4GHz band and a switching switch 202 corresponding to the 5.8GHz band.

[0056] Each of the two switch groups has its first terminal connected to one of the two antenna interfaces 70. The second terminal of each of the two switch groups is connected to the first terminal of the RX functional unit group. The control terminal of each of the two switch groups is connected to the digital baseband unit 60. The second terminal of the RX functional unit group is connected to the first terminal of the RX processing module 50, and the second terminal of the RX processing module is connected to the digital baseband unit 60. Furthermore, each of the two TX processing modules has its second terminal connected to one of the two antenna interfaces 70. The second terminal of each of the two TX functional unit groups is connected one-to-one with the first terminal of each of the two TX processing modules, and the second terminal of each of the two TX processing modules is connected to the digital baseband unit 60.

[0057] The digital baseband unit 60 is configured to perform antenna selection using time-division multiplexing and, based on the selected target antenna each time, sends a command to the control terminal of the corresponding switching group to activate the circuit of that switching group. Specifically, the exemplary WIFI chip has two antenna interfaces 70 for connecting a first antenna and a second antenna, respectively. The first antenna and the second antenna are each connected to their respective antenna interface 70 via a signal splitter, such as a duplexer, to split the WIFI signal into a 2.4GHz wireless signal and a 5.8GHz wireless signal. Thus, after each antenna selection, the digital baseband unit 60 activates one of the two switching groups, thereby creating only one RX path and two TX paths at any given time.

[0058] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the TX processing module includes a TX filtering unit 401 and a digital-to-analog converter 402. The first end of the TX filtering unit 401 serves as the first end of the TX processing module, and the second end of the TX filtering unit 401 is connected to the first end of the digital-to-analog converter 402. The second end of the digital-to-analog converter 402 is connected to the digital baseband unit 60. The RX processing module includes an RX filtering unit 501 and an analog-to-digital converter 502. The first end of the RX filtering unit 501 serves as the first end of the RX processing module 50, and the second end of the RX filtering unit 501 is connected to the first end of the analog-to-digital converter 502. The second end of the analog-to-digital converter 502 is connected to the digital baseband unit 60.

[0059] In an exemplary embodiment, the antenna selection step includes: estimating the channel quality factor of each different WIFI antenna in each antenna switching cycle, and selecting a first number of antennas that meet the channel quality conditions as target antennas based on the channel quality factor.

[0060] In one exemplary embodiment, the channel quality factor includes the signal-to-noise ratio and out-of-band interference intensity.

[0061] In this embodiment, the method of estimating the channel quality factor is not specifically limited. In an exemplary embodiment, the step of designating a first number of antennas that meet the channel quality conditions as target antennas based on the channel quality factor includes: when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first antenna is higher than a first threshold compared to the SNR of the second antenna, and the bandwidth interference intensity of the first antenna is lower than a second threshold compared to the bandwidth interference intensity of the second antenna, the digital baseband unit 60 designates the first antenna as the target antenna. When the SNR of the second antenna is higher than a first threshold compared to the SNR of the first antenna, and the bandwidth interference intensity of the second antenna is lower than a second threshold compared to the bandwidth interference intensity of the first antenna, the digital baseband unit 60 designates the second antenna as the target antenna.

[0062] Figure 4 The implementation principle and beneficial effects of the WIFI chip shown are as follows: Figure 3 The WIFI chips shown are the same, so they will not be described again here.

[0063] In one exemplary embodiment, this application also provides a communication device, the internal structure of which is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the communication equipment includes, for example... Figure 1 or Figure 3 The diagram shows a WIFI chip, multiple WIFI antennas, and multiple signal splitters connected to an antenna interface 70 of the WIFI chip and a WIFI antenna, respectively. The signal splitters are used to split the WIFI signal from a WIFI antenna into wireless signals of different frequency bands.

[0064] Specifically, if these communication devices are designed for applications with low uplink speed requirements but high downlink speed requirements, such as televisions, set-top boxes, game consoles, and video surveillance systems, then the internal structure of these devices may include, for example: Figure 1 The WIFI chip shown; if these communication devices are designed for applications with high uplink speed requirements and low downlink speed requirements, such as drones and mobile cameras, then the internal structure of the communication devices may specifically include, for example: Figure 3 The image shows a Wi-Fi chip. It can be understood that communication devices can determine the actual values ​​of the first and second numbers based on the actual needs of their application scenarios, thereby fully adapting to the uplink and downlink speed requirements of the actual application scenario. This reduces costs while also minimizing the space occupied by the Wi-Fi chip in the device.

[0065] In one exemplary embodiment, this application also provides a wireless communication system, including the above-described... Figure 5 The communication device shown.

[0066] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the above disclosure is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this application. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are suggested in this application, and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0067] Furthermore, this application uses specific terms to describe embodiments of the application. For example, "an embodiment," "one embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of the application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different locations in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the application can be appropriately combined.

[0068] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description of the present application and thus aid in the understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention, the foregoing description of the embodiments of the present application sometimes combines multiple features into a single embodiment, drawing, or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not imply that the subject matter of the application requires more features than those mentioned in the claims. In fact, the embodiments contain fewer features than all the features of the single embodiments disclosed above.

[0069] In some embodiments, numbers describing the quantity of components and attributes are used. It should be understood that such numbers used in the description of embodiments are modified in some examples with the terms "approximately," "approximately," or "generally." Unless otherwise stated, "approximately," "approximately," or "generally" indicates that the numbers are allowed to vary by ±20%. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are approximate values, which may be changed depending on the characteristics required by individual embodiments. In some embodiments, numerical parameters should take into account specified significant digits and employ a general method of digit reservation. Although the numerical ranges and parameters used to confirm their breadth of scope in some embodiments of this application are approximate values, in specific embodiments, such values ​​are set as precisely as feasible.

[0070] Although this application has been described with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate this application, and various equivalent changes or substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, any changes or modifications to the above embodiments within the essential spirit of this application will fall within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A WIFI chip, characterized in that, include: A first number of TX functional unit groups, a second number of RX functional unit groups, a second number of switching switch groups, a first number of TX processing modules, a second number of RX processing modules, and a digital baseband unit, wherein each of the TX functional unit groups includes multiple TX functional units of different frequency bands, each switching switch group includes multiple switching switches corresponding to the different frequency bands, and each RX functional unit group includes multiple RX functional units corresponding to the different frequency bands, wherein the first number is less than the second number; Each of the second number of switch groups has its first terminal connected to a plurality of antenna interfaces for different WIFI antennas. Each of the second number of switch groups has its second terminal connected to the first terminal of the first number of TX functional unit groups. Each of the second number of switch groups has its control terminal connected to the digital baseband unit. Each of the first number of TX functional unit groups has its second terminal connected to the first terminal of the first number of TX processing modules in a one-to-one correspondence. Each of the first number of TX processing modules has its second terminal connected to the digital baseband unit. The first end of each of the second number of RX functional unit groups is connected to the antenna interface of different WIFI antennas, the second end of each of the second number of RX functional unit groups is connected to the first end of the second number of RX processing modules in a one-to-one correspondence, and the second end of the second number of RX processing modules is connected to the digital baseband unit. The digital baseband unit is configured to perform antenna selection in a time-division multiplexing manner, and send instructions to the control terminals of the first number of switching groups in the second number of switching groups according to the first number of target antennas selected each time, so as to enable the first number of switching groups to conduct the circuit.

2. The WIFI chip of claim 1, wherein, The TX processing module includes a TX filtering unit and a digital-to-analog converter unit. The first end of the TX filtering unit serves as the first end of the TX processing module, and the second end of the TX filtering unit is connected to the first end of the digital-to-analog converter unit. The second end of the digital-to-analog converter unit is connected to the digital baseband unit. The RX processing module includes an RX filtering unit and an analog-to-digital conversion unit. The first end of the RX filtering unit serves as the first end of the RX processing module, and the second end of the RX filtering unit is connected to the first end of the analog-to-digital conversion unit. The second end of the analog-to-digital conversion unit is connected to the digital baseband unit.

3. The WIFI chip of claim 1, wherein, The antenna selection step includes: in each antenna switching cycle, estimating the channel quality factor of each of the different WIFI antennas, and selecting the first number of antennas that meet the channel quality conditions as the target antennas according to the channel quality factors.

4. The WIFI chip of claim 3, wherein, The channel quality factor includes the signal-to-noise ratio and out-of-band interference intensity.

5. The WIFI chip of claim 1, wherein, The first number is specifically 1, and the second number is specifically 2.

6. The WIFI chip of claim 4, wherein, The different WIFI antennas specifically include a first antenna and a second antenna; The step of selecting the first number of antennas that meet the channel quality condition as the target antennas according to the channel quality factor includes: When the signal-to-noise ratio of the first antenna is higher than the signal-to-noise ratio of the second antenna by a first threshold, and the bandwidth interference intensity of the first antenna is lower than the bandwidth interference intensity of the second antenna by a second threshold, the digital baseband unit uses the first antenna as the target antenna. When the signal-to-noise ratio of the second antenna is higher than the first threshold value compared to the signal-to-noise ratio of the first antenna, and the bandwidth interference intensity of the second antenna is lower than the second threshold value compared to the bandwidth interference intensity of the first antenna, the digital baseband unit uses the second antenna as the target antenna.

7. The WIFI chip of claim 1, wherein, Each TX functional unit group specifically includes a TX functional unit in the 2.4 GHz band and a TX functional unit in the 5.8 GHz band; and each RX functional unit group specifically includes an RX functional unit in the 2.4 GHz band and an RX functional unit in the 5.8 GHz band.

8. A WIFI chip, characterized in that, include: The system comprises a first number of RX functional unit groups, a second number of TX functional unit groups, a second number of switching switch groups, a second number of TX processing modules, a first number of RX processing modules, and a digital baseband unit, wherein each RX functional unit group includes multiple RX functional units for different frequency bands, each switching switch group includes multiple switching switches corresponding to the different frequency bands, and each TX functional unit group includes multiple TX functional units corresponding to the different frequency bands, wherein the first number is less than the second number. Each of the second number of switch groups has its first terminal connected to multiple antenna interfaces for different WIFI antennas. Each of the second number of switch groups has its second terminal connected to the first terminal of the first number of RX functional unit groups. Each of the second number of switch groups has its control terminal connected to the digital baseband unit. Each of the first number of RX functional unit groups has its second terminal connected to the first terminal of the first number of RX processing modules in a one-to-one correspondence. Each of the first number of RX processing modules has its second terminal connected to the digital baseband unit. The first end of each of the second number of TX functional unit groups is connected to the antenna interface of different WIFI antennas, the second end of each of the second number of TX functional unit groups is connected to the first end of the second number of TX processing modules in a one-to-one correspondence, and the second end of the second number of TX processing modules is connected to the digital baseband unit. The digital baseband unit is configured to perform antenna selection in a time-division multiplexing manner, and send instructions to the control terminals of the first number of switching groups in the second number of switching groups according to the first number of target antennas selected each time, so as to enable the first number of switching groups to conduct the circuit.

9. A communication device, characterized by include: The WIFI chip as described in any one of claims 1-8; Multiple WIFI antennas; as well as, Multiple signal splitters are connected to one antenna interface of the WIFI chip and one WIFI antenna, respectively. The signal splitters are used to split the WIFI signal from one WIFI antenna into wireless signals of different frequency bands.

10. A wireless communication system, characterized by Includes the communication device as described in claim 9.

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