A method and apparatus for suppressing a grid lobe

Abstract

The application provides a grating lobe suppression method, which can rearrange the array factor of the element arrangement of an antenna array, reconstruct the element pattern, and jointly suppress the grating lobe generated in the antenna array by using the reconstructed array pattern and the array factor, so as to reduce the power consumption of the antenna system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, specifically to a grating lobe suppression method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of communication technology and people's increasing communication needs, small-scale array antennas can lead to ineffective signal coverage when used for communication. Therefore, the overall gain of the antenna system can be improved by increasing the antenna size.

[0003] In existing technologies, the size of an antenna array can be increased by increasing the spacing between the array elements. However, increasing the spacing between antennas may introduce grating lobes into the antenna array, causing energy dispersion of the antenna signal and resulting in reduced antenna gain. Grating lobes can also interfere with the normal operation of the main lobe, thereby affecting the reliability and stability of the communication system and reducing the accuracy of the results obtained by the communication system.

[0004] Therefore, how to suppress grating lobes in the antenna array without reducing antenna gain has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a grating lobe suppression method that suppresses grating lobes while reducing chip power consumption, maintaining the gain of the antenna system and improving the beam scanning capability of the antenna system. This application also provides corresponding apparatus, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products.

[0006] The first aspect of this application provides a grating lobe suppression method, which is applied to an antenna array, the antenna array comprising multiple array elements, and the method includes:

[0007] The process involves: modifying a first excitation signal and a second excitation signal; wherein the first excitation signal is used to obtain a first mode, and the second excitation signal is used to obtain a second mode, and the phase change trends of the first mode and the second mode are different; acquiring the reconstructed element radiation pattern of the antenna array; the reconstructed element radiation pattern is determined based on the modified first and second excitation signals; setting an array arrangement of multiple elements; wherein the array arrangement is determined based on the number of elements and the element spacing, the number of elements is less than a first number, and the element spacing between each element is not fixed, the first number being determined based on the full array state of the antenna array; obtaining an array radiation pattern based on the reconstructed element radiation pattern and array factor; wherein the array factor is obtained based on the array arrangement, and the reconstructed element radiation pattern and array arrangement are used to suppress grating lobes in the antenna array.

[0008] In this application, the antenna array is an antenna system composed of multiple antenna elements arranged according to a certain pattern. The antenna array can include various types of antenna elements, or array elements, and the type of array element is not limited here. The array elements are used to radiate and receive electromagnetic waves. In transmit mode, the array elements convert the input electrical signal into electromagnetic waves and radiate them into space; in receive mode, the array elements convert the received electromagnetic waves into electrical signals for subsequent circuit processing. Multiple array elements are arranged according to a certain pattern to form an antenna array. By controlling the amplitude, phase, and other parameters of the excitation signal of each array element, the electromagnetic waves radiated by each array element interfere and superimpose in space, thereby forming a beam with a specific direction and shape, achieving functions such as beamforming and scanning.

[0009] In this application, the excitation signal is an electrical signal used to drive each element of the antenna array to generate specific radiation characteristics. By adjusting the amplitude and phase of the excitation signal, the radiation field of the antenna array can form a specific radiation pattern in space. The first mode is the excitation mode obtained after the antenna radiates the first excitation signal, and the second mode is the excitation mode obtained after the antenna radiates the second excitation signal.

[0010] In this application, a mode refers to the distribution pattern of various electromagnetic fields excited by different types of currents in an antenna. Different modes result in different radiation patterns for the antenna. The excitation mode of an antenna array refers to the distribution pattern of the electromagnetic field radiated when the antenna is subjected to an external excitation signal. Due to the reception of different excitation signals, the antenna array will generate different modes, each with different phase and amplitude.

[0011] In this application, the electric fields generated by the first mode and the second mode are superimposed. Since there is a difference in the phase change trend between the first mode and the second mode, when the phases of the two modes are the same at a certain point, constructive interference will occur, which will increase the amplitude of the synthesized wave and thus enhance the intensity of the electric field. When the peaks and troughs of the two modes overlap at a certain point, destructive interference will occur, which will decrease the amplitude of the synthesized wave or even make it zero, thus reducing the intensity of the electric field.

[0012] In this application, the first mode and the second mode can be used to obtain the element radiation pattern of the antenna array, and the mode obtained by superimposing the first mode and the second mode determines the shape of the element radiation pattern.

[0013] In this application, the mode obtained by superimposing the first mode and the second mode includes the radiation main lobe and the radiation null point.

[0014] In this application, a radiation null point refers to a point or region in the antenna radiation pattern where the radiation field strength is zero or very weak. Radiation null points can be used to suppress the radiation energy of the array in non-target directions. The main lobe is the region with the strongest radiation intensity in the antenna radiation pattern, concentrating most of the antenna's radiated energy.

[0015] In this application, the radiation direction of the main lobe is the same as the phase of the main lobe electric field of the first mode and the phase of the main lobe electric field of the second mode. The magnitude of the radiation electric field of the main lobe is the sum of the absolute values ​​of the main lobe electric fields of the first mode and the second mode in the radiation direction of the main lobe. The radiation direction of the zero point is the direction in which the phase of the main lobe electric field of the first mode and the phase of the main lobe electric field of the second mode differ by a first fixed value. The magnitude of the radiation electric field of the zero point is the difference between the absolute values ​​of the main lobe electric fields of the first mode and the second mode in the radiation direction of the zero point. Furthermore, the magnitude of the radiation electric field of the main lobe is greater than or equal to three times the magnitude of the radiation electric field of the zero point.

[0016] The first fixed value can be a theoretical value, meaning that when the first fixed value is π (i.e., 180°), the main lobe electric field of the first mode and the main lobe electric field of the second mode will exhibit a radiation zero point. Alternatively, the first fixed value can be obtained based on historical measurement data. That is, by repeatedly measuring the magnitude of the radiated electric field in different directions in the first and second modes, the direction in which the magnitude of the radiated electric field is zero or close to zero can be found, and the phase difference between the main lobe electric fields of the two modes can be measured in that direction as the first fixed value. The method of obtaining the first fixed value is not limited here.

[0017] In this application, the positions of the radiation main lobe and radiation null point can be changed by altering the phase / amplitude of the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal, thereby obtaining a reconstructed array element radiation pattern. The position of the radiation main lobe in the reconstructed array element radiation pattern is aligned with the position of the main lobe in the array factor.

[0018] In this application, the elevation angle of the main lobe can be determined based on the ratio of the amplitudes of the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal, and the azimuth angle of the main lobe can be determined based on the relative phases of the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal.

[0019] In this application, the elevation angle refers to the angle between the direction of the main radiation lobe and the horizontal plane. The elevation angle is mainly used to control the radiation direction of the antenna in the vertical direction. By adjusting the elevation angle, the main lobe of the antenna can cover target areas at different elevation angles.

[0020] In this application, azimuth refers to the angle between the direction of the main radiating lobe and a reference direction on a horizontal plane (usually true north is 0°, and clockwise is positive). The azimuth is used to control the radiation direction of the antenna in the horizontal direction. It determines the coverage direction of the antenna's main lobe on the horizontal plane, allowing the antenna to be aimed at targets or receiving equipment in different directions.

[0021] In the above method, by changing the phase and / or amplitude of the excitation signal, the elevation and azimuth angles of the mode main lobe are adjusted, so that the elevation / azimuth angles of the radiating main lobe in the reconstructed array element pattern are aligned with the elevation / azimuth angles of the main lobe in the array factor. This makes the antenna radiated energy more concentrated in the target scanning direction, improves the gain of the array antenna in the target direction, and enhances the signal transmission and reception capability of the antenna array in the desired direction. Moreover, the radiated energy of the antenna array will decrease as the offset between the main lobe direction of the array element and the main lobe direction of the array factor increases. In addition, aligning the radiation nulls in the array element pattern with the grating lobes in the array factor allows the array element pattern to suppress the grating lobes in the array factor, reduces the electric field of the grating lobes, improves the beam scanning capability of the antenna system, and improves the communication quality of communication using the antenna array.

[0022] However, to reduce cost and power consumption, antenna arrays reduce the number of digital channels, which in turn increases the element spacing in two orthogonal directions, potentially resulting in multiple grating lobes. Since there is only one radiation null in the element radiation pattern, pattern reconstruction can only suppress one grating lobe; therefore, the array arrangement of the elements also needs to be configured.

[0023] In this application, the array arrangement of array elements refers to arranging and combining multiple antenna array elements according to specific rules and methods to form an antenna array with specific performance and functions. The array arrangement is determined based on the number of array elements and the spacing between them. By rationally arranging the array elements, parameters such as the radiation pattern, gain, and beamwidth of the antenna can be controlled to meet the antenna performance requirements of different application scenarios.

[0024] One possible implementation is to arrange the array elements in an irregular, sparse array. A sparse array is the opposite of a full array. A full array refers to an antenna array where all elements are evenly spaced (0.5λ) and fill the entire array area without any gaps or sparse areas. λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave in free space corresponding to the operating frequency of the antenna element's center.

[0025] A sparse array includes at least one of the following: the array elements are filled with equal spacing, but the spacing is greater than 0.5λ; the array elements are filled with non-fixed spacing, and all spacings are greater than or equal to 0.5λ. All of these situations result in a smaller number of array elements than a full array, hence the name sparse array.

[0026] Sparse arrays can be divided into regular sparse arrays and irregular sparse arrays. When the spacing between array elements is fixed and equal, it is a regular sparse array; when the spacing between array elements is not fixed, it is an irregular sparse array.

[0027] In this application, the element spacing includes the element spacing in a first direction and the element spacing in a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0028] In this application, the first direction can be the x-axis direction and the second direction can be the y-axis direction. The coordinate axis can be established by taking a certain element in the antenna array as the origin, and there is no limitation here.

[0029] In this application, the element spacing is greater than or equal to a first length, which can be determined based on the actual application environment of the antenna array or historical experience data. The first length is used to limit the degrees of freedom of the element spacing of the antenna array; the larger the first length, the smaller the degrees of freedom of the element spacing.

[0030] In this application, the size of the array element itself in the antenna array cannot be greater than the first length. Since the array length of the entire array is fixed, when the size of the array element is too large, the two array elements will be too close to each other, which will cause the radiated electric fields generated by the two adjacent array elements to interact, thus reducing the gain of the antenna array.

[0031] By setting the element spacing in both directions in the above manner, the energy of the grating lobes in the antenna array is dispersed in both directions, so that the energy in each grating lobe no longer concentrates in the same area, thus limiting the distribution of energy in the grating lobe.

[0032] In this application, after setting the array arrangement of array elements, the array factor of the array elements is determined according to the array arrangement. The irregular sparse array and the reconstructed array element radiation pattern can jointly suppress the grating lobes in the antenna array. Specifically, the irregular sparse array is used to disperse the grating lobe energy, and the reconstructed array element radiation pattern is used to suppress the grating lobe energy. Combining the two can jointly suppress the energy of multiple grating lobes.

[0033] In the first aspect mentioned above, the antenna array alters the positions of the main lobe and the null point by changing the phase / amplitude of the radiated first and second excitation signals, thereby obtaining a reconstructed array element pattern for suppressing the energy of the grating lobes. Furthermore, the energy distribution of the grating lobes is changed by altering the element spacing. Through the combined effect of these two methods, the antenna array can simultaneously suppress the energy of multiple grating lobes when they exist, while maintaining the gain of the main lobe. This increases the gain of the antenna array while simultaneously expanding its beam scanning range.

[0034] A second aspect of this application provides a grating lobe suppression device, which can be an antenna array. The antenna array includes multiple array element devices, including a transceiver module and a processing module.

[0035] The transceiver module is used to change a first excitation signal and a second excitation signal; wherein the antenna array includes multiple array elements, the first excitation signal is used to change the initial mode of the antenna array to obtain a first mode, the second excitation signal is used to change the initial mode of the antenna array to obtain a second mode, the amplitude and / or phase of the first mode is different from the amplitude and / or phase of the second mode, and the first mode and the second mode are used to obtain the array element radiation pattern of the antenna array;

[0036] The processing module is used to change the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal; wherein the first excitation signal is used to obtain the first mode, the second excitation signal is used to obtain the second mode, and the phase change trend of the first mode is different from the phase change trend of the second mode;

[0037] The processing module is also used to acquire the reconstructed element radiation pattern of the antenna array; the reconstructed element radiation pattern is determined based on the modified first excitation signal and second excitation signal;

[0038] The processing module is also used to set the array arrangement of multiple array elements; wherein, the array arrangement is determined according to the number of array elements and the spacing between array elements, the number of array elements is less than a first number and the spacing between each array element is different, and the first number is determined according to the full array state of the antenna array.

[0039] The processing module obtains the array radiation pattern based on the reconstructed array element radiation pattern and array factor; wherein, the array factor is obtained according to the array arrangement, and the reconstructed array element radiation pattern and array arrangement are used to suppress grating lobes in the antenna array.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the mode obtained by superimposing the first mode and the second mode includes a radiation main lobe and a radiation null point.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the radiation direction of the main lobe is the same as the phase of the main lobe electric field of the first mode and the phase of the main lobe electric field of the second mode. The magnitude of the radiation electric field of the main lobe is the sum of the absolute values ​​of the main lobe electric fields of the first mode and the second mode in the radiation direction of the main lobe. The radiation direction of the zero point is the direction in which the phase of the main lobe electric field of the first mode and the phase of the main lobe electric field of the second mode differ by a first fixed value. The magnitude of the radiation electric field of the zero point is the difference between the absolute values ​​of the main lobe electric fields of the first mode and the second mode in the radiation direction of the zero point. Furthermore, the magnitude of the radiation electric field of the main lobe is greater than or equal to three times the magnitude of the radiation electric field of the zero point.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the amplitude ratio of the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal is used to determine the pitch angle of the radiation main lobe; the relative phase of the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal is used to determine the azimuth angle of the radiation main lobe.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the element spacing includes the element spacing in a first direction and the element spacing in a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0044] In one possible implementation, the element spacing is greater than or equal to the first length.

[0045] A third aspect of this application provides a gate lobe suppression device, which includes a processor. The processor is configured to call and execute computer programs or instructions, causing the processor to implement the first aspect or any of the implementations in the first aspect.

[0046] Optionally, the grating lobe suppression device also includes a transceiver; the processor is also used to control the transceiver to transmit and receive signals.

[0047] Optionally, the grating lobe suppression device includes a memory storing computer programs or instructions.

[0048] The gate lobe suppression device mentioned in the third aspect can be a device or a chip (system) in a device.

[0049] The fourth aspect of this application provides a grating lobe suppression device, which can be an antenna array or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in the antenna array that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect.

[0050] The fifth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium including a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform an implementation as described in the first aspect or any of the first aspects.

[0051] The sixth aspect of this application provides a computer program product including a computer program or instructions, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform an implementation as described in the first aspect or any of the first aspects.

[0052] A seventh aspect of this application provides a chip device including a processor for calling a computer program or instructions in a memory to cause the processor to execute the first aspect or any implementation thereof.

[0053] Optionally, the memory may be located inside or outside the chip device.

[0054] The technical effects of the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, the fifth aspect, the sixth aspect, or the seventh aspect can be found in the first aspect or the technical effects of different possible implementations of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0055] Based on the implementation methods provided in the above aspects, this application can be further combined to provide more implementation methods. Attached Figure Description

[0056] Figure 1A It describes the structure of antenna systems in existing technologies and the improved system structure;

[0057] Figure 1B This is an example schematic diagram of a grating lobe suppression scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the grating lobe suppression method provided in this application;

[0059] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the grating lobes generated by increasing the element spacing in two directions in the antenna array provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0060] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of pattern reconstruction suppression grid lobe provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 5 This is an example diagram of modal superposition provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0062] Figure 6 The embodiments provided in this application are based on Figure 5 The array element radiation pattern obtained from the intermediate mode;

[0063] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the suppression effect of array element radiation patterns on grating lobes in array factors, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0064] Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of the array distribution provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the influence of different array distributions on the grating lobe radiation energy distribution provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0066] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of the unidirectional array distribution on the grating lobe radiation energy distribution provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0067] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of the bidirectional array distribution on the grating lobe radiation energy distribution provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0068] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of the array distribution and reconstructed array element pattern provided in this application on the suppression of grating lobes;

[0069] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the grid lobe suppression device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0070] Figure 14 This is another schematic diagram of the grid lobe suppression device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0071] Figure 15 This is another schematic diagram of the grid lobe suppression device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0072] Figure 16 This is another structural schematic diagram of the grid lobe suppression device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0073] The embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. As those skilled in the art will understand, with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0074] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0075] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of the terms "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0076] To make the technical solution of this application clearer and easier to understand, the antenna array is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0077] like Figure 1A As shown, Figure 1A The left side shows the basic structure of an antenna system in the prior art. The antenna array mainly includes a digital signal processor (DSP), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a mixer, and an antenna. The DSP is responsible for processing the input / generated digital signals (depending on whether the array antenna is used for transmission or reception) using various algorithms, such as beamforming algorithms, signal filtering, modulation and demodulation, thereby realizing various transformations and processing of the input / generated signals. The DAC converts the digital baseband signal output by the DSP into an analog baseband signal. The mixer then shifts the baseband signal to the radio frequency band / downconverts the received radio frequency signal to baseband. Finally, the antenna converts the processed radio frequency analog signal into electromagnetic waves in space, radiating them into free space / intercepting electromagnetic waves in space and converting them into electrical signals, which are then sent to the subsequent receiving circuit for processing.

[0078] Since the DSP chip consumes a significant portion of the power in the entire system, and its output ports are limited, the number of driver chips required for the entire antenna system increases with the size of the antenna array, leading to a substantial increase in overall power consumption. Therefore, to reduce the overall power consumption of the system while maintaining the antenna system gain (i.e., keeping the array antenna aperture constant), a feasible solution could be as follows: Figure 1A As shown on the right, the aperture of each element can be increased, and the total number of elements can be reduced accordingly. However, this approach leads to increased spacing between elements, resulting in the formation of grating lobes.

[0079] Therefore, to address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a grating lobe suppression method and related apparatus, used to reduce the influence of grating lobes on the main lobe and lower the energy consumption of the antenna system when multidimensional grating lobes exist. A detailed description will follow with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0080] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: satellite communication, 5th generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), future communication systems after 5G networks, vehicle to everything (V2X) communication systems, machine to machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), internet of things (IoT) communication systems, or other communication systems. Satellite communication systems can be communication systems integrated with 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future communication systems, such as non-terrestrial networks (NTN). NTN systems can be, for example, satellite communication systems, and can also include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), high altitude platform stations (HAPS), and other aerial access network equipment; this application does not limit this.

[0081] The grating lobe suppression method provided in this application can be applied to, for example... Figure 1B The communication system shown demonstrates the ability to achieve large-scale beam scanning of massive MIMO antennas while reducing antenna power consumption. For example, antenna arrays can be used in applications such as multi-target detection or multi-target communication, transmitting or receiving signals from terminal devices.

[0082] The terminal equipment can be mobile terminal equipment, such as mobile phones (or "cellular" phones), computers, and data cards. These can be portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices that exchange voice and / or data with the wireless access network. Examples include personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, and computers with wireless transceiver capabilities. Wireless terminal equipment can also be referred to as a system, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station (MS), remote station, access point (AP), remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, subscriber station (SS), customer premises equipment (CPE), terminal, user equipment, mobile terminal, etc. In satellite communication, terminal equipment can be a satellite communication terminal, such as a very small aperture terminal (VSAT), as well as portable stations, fixed stations, vehicle-mounted or airborne satellite communication terminals, etc. It should be understood that in these scenarios, satellite communication terminals communicate with satellites and can act as micro base stations or satellite data stations to further provide data interfaces to user equipment accessing the satellite communication terminal.

[0083] By way of example and not limitation, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices or smart wearable devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific type of application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets, smart helmets, and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0084] Furthermore, terminal devices can also be terminal devices for communication systems evolved from fifth-generation (5G) communication systems (such as 5G Advanced or future communication systems). For example, the form and function of communication terminals can be further expanded, including but not limited to vehicles, cellular network terminals (integrating satellite terminal functions), drones, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, as well as virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, or wireless terminals in smart homes. For example, wireless terminals in V2X communication can be in-vehicle equipment, vehicle-mounted equipment, in-vehicle modules, vehicles, etc. Wireless terminals in industrial control can be cameras, robots, etc. Wireless terminals in smart homes can be televisions, air conditioners, robot vacuums, speakers, set-top boxes, etc.

[0085] It should be noted that the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on water; and it can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the terminal device used to receive or transmit signals is located. Furthermore, the terminal device can be a hardware device; it can also be a software function running on dedicated or general-purpose hardware, such as a virtualization function instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform); or it can be an entity including dedicated or general-purpose hardware and software functions. This application does not limit the specific form of the terminal device.

[0086] For ease of understanding, some technical terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be introduced below.

[0087] (1) Antenna Array: An antenna array is an antenna system composed of multiple independent antenna elements arranged in a certain pattern. It achieves dynamic scanning of the beam through beamforming, thereby serving multiple users. The electromagnetic waves radiated by each antenna element in the antenna array interfere with each other in space. By controlling the excitation amplitude and phase of each antenna element, the electromagnetic waves can be strengthened in some directions and weakened in other directions, thereby achieving control of the radiation pattern and improving the directivity, gain and other performance of the antenna.

[0088] (2) Antenna main lobe: In the antenna radiation pattern, the beam region with the maximum radiation intensity is called the main lobe. The direction of the main lobe is usually the main radiation direction desired during antenna design, used to transmit or receive signals to a specific target area.

[0089] (3) Antenna grating lobes: In an antenna array, when the spacing between adjacent antenna elements is too large, it will cause periodic interference of the element radiation field in space, thus generating grating lobes. Grating lobes occupy the radiated energy, reducing the antenna gain. On the other hand, grating lobes can also interfere with the normal operation of the main lobe.

[0090] (4) Array element: The array element is the basic building block of the antenna array, also known as the antenna unit. The main function of the array element is to radiate and receive electromagnetic waves. In transmit mode, the array element converts the input electrical signal into electromagnetic waves and radiates them into space; in receive mode, the array element intercepts electromagnetic waves in space and converts them into electrical signals for subsequent processing. Multiple array elements can be arranged and combined in a reasonable manner to form an antenna array with specific radiation characteristics, realizing the directional transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves and improving the antenna's gain, directivity, and other performance characteristics.

[0091] (5) Array factor: The array factor is a function that describes the influence of the current distribution (amplitude and phase) of each element antenna in the antenna array on the far-field radiation characteristics. It is only related to the geometry of the array and the excitation of each element, and is not related to the characteristics of the element antenna itself. It reflects the interaction between the element antennas in the array.

[0092] (6) Element radiation pattern: refers to the intensity distribution of electromagnetic waves radiated by a single element antenna in space as a function of direction. It is only related to the structure, size and operating frequency of the single element and reflects the ability of a single element to radiate energy in different directions.

[0093] (7) Array pattern: refers to the radiation characteristics of an array composed of multiple antenna elements in various directions in space. It refers to the relationship between the intensity distribution of electromagnetic waves radiated by the antenna array in the far field space and the direction. It comprehensively considers the influence of the pattern of the unit antenna and the array factor, and is an important indicator for describing the overall radiation characteristics of the antenna array.

[0094] (8) Constructive interference: When the electromagnetic waves radiated by each element in an antenna array have the same phase or a phase difference of 2kπ (k=0,1,2,…) in a certain direction in space, these electromagnetic waves superimpose on each other in that direction, resulting in an increase in the combined electric or magnetic field strength, thus forming constructive interference. As a result, the radiated power of the antenna increases and the radiation gain is improved in that direction, forming the main beam direction.

[0095] (9) Destructive interference: When the phase difference between the electromagnetic waves radiated by each array element in a certain direction in space is (2k+1)π (k=0,1,2,…), they cancel each other out in that direction, resulting in a weakening of the combined electric or magnetic field strength. This is destructive interference. Destructive interference will reduce the radiated power of the antenna in these directions, or even reduce it to almost nothing, forming nulls or regions with low sidelobe electric fields.

[0096] (10) Mode: Mode refers to the distribution pattern of various electromagnetic fields excited by various distribution forms of current in an antenna. When the antenna is excited, it will vibrate at a specific frequency and in a specific shape. These specific vibration patterns are the structural modes of the antenna. In electromagnetic terms, the mode is related to the distribution and propagation characteristics of the electromagnetic field in the antenna. Different electromagnetic modes correspond to different electromagnetic field distribution forms and propagation laws.

[0097] (11) Radiation null: Radiation null refers to the direction in which the radiation intensity is zero in the antenna pattern. The existence of null can be used to suppress interference in a specific direction.

[0098] (12) In the embodiments of this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which may include sending directly through the air interface or sending indirectly through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which may include receiving directly from YY through the air interface or receiving indirectly from YY through the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0099] (13) The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. "Multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0100] (14) In the embodiments of this application, "instruction" may include direct instruction and indirect instruction, as well as explicit instruction and implicit instruction. The information indicated by a certain piece of information (as described below, the instruction information) is called the information to be instructed. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is an association between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can only indicate a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts of the information to be instructed are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction can be implemented by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol predefined or pre-configured) arrangement order of various information, thereby reducing the instruction overhead to a certain extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be instructed, and for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0101] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments and between the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment are consistent and can be mutually referenced. The technical features in different embodiments and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment can be combined to form new embodiments, methods, or implementations based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0102] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments and between the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment are consistent and can be mutually referenced. The technical features in different embodiments and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment can be combined to form new embodiments, methods, or implementations based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0103] See Figure 2 The grating lobe suppression method provided in this application includes:

[0104] S201. Change the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal.

[0105] like Figure 3 As shown, when the elements in an antenna array are arranged in a two-dimensional direction, in order to reduce the number of excitation channels, lower the overall system power consumption, and not reduce the antenna array gain, the spacing between the elements in the antenna array is increased, which also increases the aperture of the elements. However, at this time, the array factor will generate grating lobes in the direction corresponding to the increase in the element spacing. Therefore, when the array increases the element spacing in both directions of the two-dimensional direction, the array factor will generate two grating lobes simultaneously.

[0106] To suppress grating lobes in the array factor, they can be suppressed by reconstructing the array element radiation pattern (element factor). For example... Figure 4 As shown, the radiation nulls in the array element pattern can be aligned with the grating lobe positions in the array factor, so that when the array pattern is superimposed, the radiation nulls can be used to suppress the grating lobes. During antenna array scanning, the main lobe and grating lobe positions in the array factor will shift, therefore the array element pattern needs to be reconstructed to realign the radiation nulls with the grating lobes, thereby achieving grating lobe suppression.

[0107] However, when multiple grating lobes exist, since the array element radiation pattern only contains one zero, it is impossible to suppress array factors with multiple grating lobes at the same time. Therefore, the grating lobe suppression method provided in this application is needed to suppress the case where multiple grating lobes exist in the array factor.

[0108] In this application, the excitation signal is an electrical signal applied to the antenna to drive it to generate electromagnetic radiation. The first and second excitation signals can be generated by a radio frequency (RF) signal source. The RF signal source can generate specific excitation signals by defining signal parameters, modulation methods, and waveforms according to user instructions or pre-defined programs.

[0109] In this application, after the antenna array elements radiate the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal respectively, a first mode and a second mode are obtained. The phase change trend of the first mode is different from that of the second mode. Furthermore, the mode obtained by superimposing the first mode and the second mode includes a radiation main lobe and a radiation null point.

[0110] In one possible embodiment, the antenna array may include two radiating patches, wherein the first patch is circular and the second patch is annular, and the modes obtained after the two patches are excited by an excitation signal can be mode 1 and mode 2. Figure 5 As shown, the radiation field energy of mode 1 is concentrated at the center (the main lobe direction is on the z-axis, with the z-axis being the center direction), while the radiation field energy of mode 2 is concentrated around both sides (the main lobe direction deviates from the z-axis). After the two are superimposed, in the resulting superimposed mode, the main lobe energy deviates from the z-axis and is concentrated on one side, while the energy on the other side is smaller, exhibiting a zero point.

[0111] The reason for the existence of radiation nulls in the superimposed modes is that the radiation phase of mode 1 remains within a stable range throughout the entire radiation field. However, the radiation phase of mode 2 varies by 360° with the azimuth angle. Therefore, at some point, the radiation phases of the two modes are the same, resulting in constructive interference in the radiated electric fields. Conversely, at some point, the radiation phases of the two modes differ by 180°, resulting in destructive interference in the radiated electric fields. Consequently, the radiated electric field of the superimposed modes exhibits a phenomenon where energy is concentrated on one side, while almost no energy is distributed on the other side.

[0112] In this application, the radiation direction of the main lobe is the same as the phase of the main lobe electric field of the first mode and the phase of the main lobe electric field of the second mode. The magnitude of the radiation electric field of the main lobe is the sum of the absolute values ​​of the main lobe electric fields of the first mode and the second mode in the radiation direction of the main lobe. The radiation direction of the zero point is the direction in which the phase of the main lobe electric field of the first mode and the phase of the main lobe electric field of the second mode differ by a first fixed value. The magnitude of the radiation electric field of the zero point is the difference between the absolute values ​​of the main lobe electric fields of the first mode and the second mode in the radiation direction of the zero point. Furthermore, the magnitude of the radiation electric field of the main lobe is greater than or equal to three times the magnitude of the radiation electric field of the zero point.

[0113] The first fixed value can be a theoretical value, meaning that when the first fixed value is π (i.e., 180°), the main lobe electric field of the first mode and the main lobe electric field of the second mode will exhibit a radiation zero point. Alternatively, the first fixed value can be obtained based on historical measurement data. That is, by repeatedly measuring the magnitude of the radiated electric field in different directions in the first and second modes, the direction in which the magnitude of the radiated electric field is zero or close to zero can be found, and the phase difference between the main lobe electric fields of the two modes can be measured in that direction as the first fixed value. The method of obtaining the first fixed value is not limited here.

[0114] For example, if the amplitude of the first mode is A1 and the amplitude of the second mode is A2, then the magnitude of the radiation electric field of the main lobe is |A1|+|A2|, and the magnitude of the radiation electric field at the zero point is |A1|-|A2|, and it is necessary to satisfy (|A1|-|A2|)×3<=|A1|+|A2|.

[0115] S202. Obtain the reconstructed array element orientation pattern.

[0116] In this application, the positions of the radiation main lobe and the radiation null point can be changed by altering the phase and / or amplitude of the first excitation signal / second excitation signal of the radiation, so that the elevation angle and / or azimuth angle of the radiation main lobe in the obtained reconstructed array element pattern are aligned with the elevation angle and / or azimuth angle of the main lobe of the array factor, thereby suppressing the energy of the grating lobe.

[0117] In this application, the elevation angle of the main lobe can be determined based on the ratio of the amplitudes of the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal, and the azimuth angle of the main lobe can be determined based on the relative phases of the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal.

[0118] In the above method, by changing the phase and / or amplitude of the excitation signal, the elevation and azimuth angles of the mode main lobe are adjusted, so that the elevation / azimuth angles of the radiating main lobe in the reconstructed array element pattern are aligned with the elevation / azimuth angles of the main lobe in the array factor. This makes the antenna radiated energy more concentrated in the target scanning direction, improves the gain of the array antenna in the target direction, and enhances the signal transmission and reception capability of the antenna array in the desired direction. Moreover, the radiated energy of the antenna array will decrease as the offset between the main lobe direction of the array element and the main lobe direction of the array factor increases. In addition, aligning the radiation nulls in the array element pattern with the grating lobes in the array factor allows the array element pattern to suppress the grating lobes in the array factor, reduces the electric field of the grating lobes, improves the beam scanning capability of the antenna system, and improves the communication quality of communication using the antenna array.

[0119] For ease of explanation, the following will be... Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 as well as Figure 12 The region with a smaller radiated electric field, i.e., dispersed energy, is labeled as Region 1, and the region with a larger radiated electric field, i.e., concentrated energy, is labeled as Region 2. The difference in labeling is solely to distinguish the magnitude of the electric field (energy). Region 1 can be blue, and Region 2 can be yellow. In other embodiments, different colors can also be used for labeling, as long as the two regions are different colors for easy differentiation; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0120] like Figure 6 As shown, the above Figure 5 After planarizing modes 1, 2, and the superimposed mode in the embodiment, the corresponding array element radiation patterns can be obtained. It can be seen that there is only one zero point with a small radiated electric field in the reconstructed array element radiation pattern, so it can only achieve good suppression of one grating lobe in the antenna array.

[0121] like Figure 7 As shown, in order to reduce cost and power consumption, the antenna array reduces the number of digital channels, which in turn increases the element spacing in the two orthogonal directions. Figure 7 The array factor contains multiple grating lobes, and the radiated electric field of each grating lobe is relatively strong, and through the above... Figure 6 The array element radiation pattern can only suppress one of the grating lobes, such as... Figure 7 As shown in the array pattern, only the energy of the grating lobe in the upper left corner is suppressed, while the energy of the other two existing grating lobes remains relatively high, resulting in insufficient suppression of the grating lobes in the antenna array. Therefore, further adjustments to the array arrangement of the array elements are needed.

[0122] S203. Set the array arrangement of multiple array elements.

[0123] In this application, the array arrangement of array elements refers to arranging and combining multiple antenna array elements according to specific rules and methods to form an antenna array with specific performance and functions. The array arrangement is determined based on the number of array elements and the spacing between them. By rationally arranging the array elements, parameters such as the radiation pattern, gain, and beamwidth of the antenna can be controlled to meet the antenna performance requirements of different application scenarios.

[0124] In this application, the array arrangement of array elements can include full arrays and sparse arrays. Sparse arrays are further divided into regular sparse arrays and irregular sparse arrays. Sparse arrays and full arrays are relative concepts. A full array refers to an antenna array where all elements are evenly spaced (0.5λ) and fill the entire array area without any gaps or sparse areas. Figure 8 As shown, when the antenna array length is 6λ, the element spacing is 0.5λ, resulting in a full array containing 12 elements. Conversely, in a regularly sparsely distributed antenna array, the element spacing is fixed and equal, at 1λ, resulting in 6 elements. In an irregularly sparsely distributed antenna array, the element spacing is not fixed, also resulting in 6 elements. Here, λ represents the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave in free space corresponding to the operating frequency of the antenna element center.

[0125] In this application, the number of array elements in a sparse array can be determined by defining the sparse distribution ratio of the array. The sparse distribution ratio of the array is γ = (NQ) / N, where Q is the number of array elements after sparse distribution and N is the number of array elements before sparse distribution.

[0126] In this application, the difference between irregular and regular sparse arrays lies in whether the element spacing is fixed. In a regular sparse array, the element spacing is larger than in a full array, resulting in multiple grating lobes. In an irregular sparse array, the unequal spacing between elements disrupts the periodic spatial distribution of radiation, thus breaking the energy concentration of grating lobes in different directions and suppressing their energy accumulation.

[0127] In this application, the element spacing includes the element spacing in a first direction and the element spacing in a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0128] In this application, the first direction can be the x-axis direction and the second direction can be the y-axis direction. The coordinate axis can be established by taking a certain element in the antenna array as the origin, and there is no limitation here.

[0129] like Figure 9 As shown, Figure 9The left-hand side shows the bidirectional, regularly sparse array distribution and its corresponding array factor. In this bidirectional, regularly sparse array, the array factor, besides generating energy accumulation in the main lobe direction, also produces three additional grating lobes, whose electric fields are equal to the main lobe's electric field. Figure 9 The right-hand side shows a unidirectional, irregularly distributed, sparse array and its corresponding array factor. When the element spacing in the y-direction is not fixed, the grating lobe energy in the y-direction no longer concentrates but is scattered in the upper half of the region, resulting in a corresponding decrease in the electric field. Meanwhile, the element spacing in the x-direction remains fixed, so the grating lobes in the array factor still exist.

[0130] In this application, the element spacing is greater than or equal to a first length, which can be determined based on the actual application environment of the antenna array or historical experience data. The first length is used to limit the degrees of freedom of the element spacing of the antenna array; the larger the first length, the smaller the degrees of freedom of the element spacing.

[0131] In this application, the size of the array element itself in the antenna array cannot be greater than the first length. Since the array length of the entire array is fixed, when the size of the array element is too large, the two array elements will be too close to each other, which will cause the radiated electric fields generated by the two adjacent array elements to interact, thus reducing the gain of the antenna array.

[0132] In this application, the energy distribution within the array factor is also related to the direction in which the element spacing is set to be non-fixed. For example... Figure 10 As shown, Figure 10 Both arrays are unidirectional, irregularly sparsely distributed arrays with different element spacing, resulting in different energy distributions of the array factors. Furthermore, the unidirectional irregular sparse distribution only suppresses grating lobes in array factors along the same direction, having no effect on grating lobes in other directions. Figure 10 There are still regions in the two array factors where the radiated electric field is strong but not the main lobe.

[0133] As described above, this application can suppress grating lobes in both directions simultaneously by setting a bidirectional irregular sparse array. For example... Figure 11 As shown, Figure 11 The element spacing in the array is not fixed in either direction; therefore, in the array factor, it is related to... Figure 10 Compared to the array factor in the array, the energy distribution of the grating lobes in both directions is disrupted, with only the region where the main lobe is located having stronger energy.

[0134] By setting the spacing between array elements in the antenna array to be variable in the above manner, the energy of the grating lobes is dispersed, but the energy of the grating lobes is not significantly suppressed. Therefore, the above two steps can be combined to improve the suppression effect on multiple grating lobes.

[0135] S204. Obtain the array pattern based on the reconstructed array element pattern and array factor.

[0136] In this application, the final array pattern can be obtained by combining the reconstructed array element pattern obtained in S202 with the rearranged array factors in S203. For example, it can be obtained as follows: Figure 12 As shown, by reconstructing the array element radiation pattern, the grating lobes in the antenna array are aligned with the radiation null points in the array element radiation pattern, and the energy of the remaining grating lobes is dispersed by the set array arrangement, thereby achieving the suppression of multiple grating lobes.

[0137] Optionally, when the antenna array is scanned, the positions of the main lobe and grating lobe in the antenna array will move, but the relative positions of the main lobe and grating lobe will not change. Therefore, the above method can still suppress multiple grating lobes in the scanned antenna array.

[0138] As described above, the antenna array alters the positions of the main lobe and null point by changing the phase / amplitude of the first and second excitation signals, thereby obtaining a reconstructed array element pattern for suppressing the energy of the grating lobes. Furthermore, the energy distribution of the grating lobes is changed by altering the element spacing. Through the combined effect of these two methods, the antenna array can simultaneously suppress the energy of multiple grating lobes while maintaining the gain of the main lobe. This increases the beam scanning range of the antenna array while simultaneously improving its gain.

[0139] The above describes the grating lobe suppression method according to embodiments of this application. The grating lobe suppression device provided in embodiments of this application will be described below. Please refer to... Figure 13 This application provides a grating lobe suppression device 1300, which can realize the function of the antenna array in the above method embodiment, and thus also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiment.

[0140] It should be noted that the transceiver unit 1302 can also be called a transceiver module, which may include a sending unit (also called a sending module) and / or a receiving unit (also called a receiving module), which are used to perform the sending and receiving operations in the embodiment, respectively.

[0141] In one possible implementation, when the device 1300 is for performing Figure 2When the method is executed in the relevant embodiments, the device 1300 includes a processing unit 1301 and a transceiver unit 1302; the transceiver unit 1302 is used to radiate a first excitation signal and a second excitation signal, the processing unit 1301 is used to change the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal, the processing unit 1301 is also used to set the array arrangement of multiple array elements; the processing unit 1301 is also used to obtain an array pattern based on the array element pattern and the array factor.

[0142] In one possible design, when the gate lobe suppression device 1300 is a communication device or a communication module within a communication device, the function of the processing unit 1301 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, a SoC chip (such as a SoC chip containing a modem core), or a SIP chip. The function of the transceiver unit 1302 can be implemented by transceiver circuitry.

[0143] In one possible design, when the gate lobe suppression device 1300 is a circuit or chip in a communication device responsible for gate lobe suppression, such as a modem chip, a SoC chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core, the function of the processing unit 1301 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the transceiver unit 1302 can be implemented by the interface circuit or data transceiver circuit on the aforementioned chip.

[0144] It should be noted that the information execution process of the unit of the above-mentioned grating lobe suppression device 1300 can be specifically described in the method embodiment shown above in this application, and will not be repeated here.

[0145] Please see Figure 14 This is another schematic structural diagram of the gate lobe suppression device 1400 provided in this application. The gate lobe suppression device 1400 includes a logic circuit 1401 and an input / output interface 1402. The gate lobe suppression device 1400 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0146] in, Figure 13 The transceiver unit 1302 shown can be a communication interface, and the grating lobe suppression interface can be... Figure 14 The input / output interface 1402 may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface may also be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0147] In one possible implementation, when the device 1400 is for performing Figure 2When the method is executed in the relevant embodiments, the input / output interface 1402 is used to radiate the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal; the logic circuit 1401 is used to change the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal; the logic circuit 1401 is also used to set the array arrangement of multiple array elements; the logic circuit 1401 is also used to obtain the array pattern based on the array element pattern and the array factor.

[0148] The logic circuit 1401 and the input / output interface 1402 can also perform other steps executed in any embodiment and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0149] In one possible implementation, Figure 13 The processing unit 1301 shown can be Figure 14 The logic circuit 1401 in the middle.

[0150] Optionally, the logic circuit 1401 can be a processing device, the functions of which can be partially or entirely implemented in software.

[0151] Optionally, the processing apparatus may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform the corresponding processing and / or steps in any of the method embodiments.

[0152] Optionally, the processing device may consist of only a processor. Memory for storing computer programs is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuitry / wires to read and execute the computer programs stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated together or physically independent.

[0153] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system on-chips (SoCs), central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic controllers (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any combination of the above chips or processors.

[0154] Please see Figure 15 This refers to the grid lobe suppression device 1500 described in the above embodiments provided in this application.

[0155] The diagram shows a possible logical structure of the gate lobe suppression device 1500, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one processor 1501 and a communication port 1502.

[0156] in, Figure 13 The transceiver unit 1302 shown can be a communication interface, which can be... Figure 15 The communication port 1502 may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 1502 may also be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0157] Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 1503 and a bus 1504. In the embodiments of this application, the at least one processor 1501 is used to control the operation of the gate lobe suppression device 1500.

[0158] Furthermore, the processor 1501 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0159] It should be noted that, Figure 15 The specific implementation methods shown can all be referred to in the descriptions of the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0160] Please see Figure 16 The above-described embodiment of the grid lobe suppression device 1600 is shown as a structural schematic diagram of the embodiment provided in this application.

[0161] The lobe suppression device 1600 includes at least one processor 1611 and at least one network interface 1614. Optionally, the lobe suppression device further includes at least one memory 1612, at least one transceiver 1613, and one or more antennas 1615. The processor 1611, memory 1612, transceiver 1613, and network interface 1614 are connected, for example, via a bus. In this embodiment, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines, or buses, etc., and this embodiment is not limited thereto. The antenna 1615 is connected to the transceiver 1613. The network interface 1614 enables the lobe suppression device to communicate with other communication devices via a communication link. For example, the network interface 1614 may include a network interface between the lobe suppression device and core network equipment, such as an S1 interface; the network interface may also include a network interface between the lobe suppression device and other lobe suppression devices (e.g., other network devices or core network equipment), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0162] in, Figure 16 The transceiver unit 1602 shown can be a communication interface, which can be... Figure 16 The network interface 1614 may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 1614 may also be a transceiver circuit, which may include input interface circuitry and output interface circuitry.

[0163] The processor 1611 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire lobe suppression device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs, for example, to support the actions described in the embodiments of the lobe suppression device. The lobe suppression device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit. The baseband processor is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit is mainly used to control the entire terminal device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. Figure 16 The processor 1611 can integrate the functions of a baseband processor and a central processing unit. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and the central processing unit can also be independent processors interconnected via technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that a terminal device can include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and a terminal device can include multiple central processing units to enhance its processing capabilities. The various components of the terminal device can be connected via various buses. The baseband processor can also be described as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The central processing unit can also be described as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, with the processor executing the software program to implement the baseband processing function.

[0164] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The memory 1612 can exist independently or be connected to the processor 1611. Optionally, the memory 1612 can be integrated with the processor 1611, for example, integrated within a single chip. The memory 1612 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 1611. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 1611.

[0165] Figure 16 Only one memory and one processor are shown. In actual terminal devices, there may be multiple processors and multiple memories. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory can be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or it can be a separate storage element; this application does not limit this.

[0166] Transceiver 1613 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency signals between the grating lobe suppression device and the terminal. Transceiver 1613 can be connected to antenna 1615. Transceiver 1613 includes a transmitter Tx and / or a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 1615 can receive radio frequency signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 1613 is used to receive the radio frequency signals from the antennas, convert the radio frequency signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals, and provide the digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals to the processor 1611 so that the processor 1611 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 1613 is also used to receive the modulated digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals from the processor 1611, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals into radio frequency signals, and transmit the radio frequency signals through one or more antennas 1615. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the radio frequency signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The order of these downmixing and IF conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital IF signal to obtain a radio frequency signal. The order of these upmixing and IF conversion processes is also adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital IF signal can be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0167] The transceiver 1613 can also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the device in the transceiver unit that performs the receiving function can be regarded as the receiving unit, and the device in the transceiver unit that performs the transmitting function can be regarded as the transmitting unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit can also be called a receiver, input port, receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0168] It should be noted that, Figure 16 The specific implementation of the grating lobe suppression device 1600 shown can be referred to the description in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0169] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor performs the method described in the possible implementation of the gate lobe suppression device in the foregoing embodiments.

[0170] This application also provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by the processor, executes the method of the above-described possible implementation of the gate lobe suppression device.

[0171] This application embodiment also provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting a gate lobe suppression device in implementing the functions involved in the possible implementations of the gate lobe suppression device described above. Optionally, the chip system further includes an interface circuit that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor. In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory for storing the program instructions and data necessary for the gate lobe suppression device. This chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0172] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0173] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0174] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. A method for suppressing grating lobes, characterized in that, The method is applied to an antenna array, the antenna array comprising multiple array elements, characterized in that the method includes: The first excitation signal and the second excitation signal are changed; wherein the first excitation signal is used to obtain a first mode, the second excitation signal is used to obtain a second mode, and the phase change trend of the first mode is different from the phase change trend of the second mode; Obtain the reconstructed element radiation pattern of the antenna array; the reconstructed element radiation pattern is determined based on the modified first excitation signal and second excitation signal; An array arrangement of multiple array elements is configured; wherein the array arrangement is determined based on the number of array elements and the spacing between array elements, the number of array elements is less than a first number and the spacing between each array element is not fixed, and the first number is determined based on the full array state of the antenna array. An array pattern is obtained based on the reconstructed array element pattern and array factor; wherein the array factor is obtained according to the array arrangement, and the reconstructed array element pattern and the array arrangement are used to suppress grating lobes in the antenna array.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mode obtained by superimposing the first mode and the second mode includes a radiation main lobe and a radiation null point.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The radiation direction of the main lobe is the same as the phase of the main lobe electric field of the first mode and the phase of the main lobe electric field of the second mode. The magnitude of the radiation electric field of the main lobe is the sum of the absolute values ​​of the main lobe electric fields of the first mode and the second mode along the radiation direction of the main lobe. The radiation direction of the zero point is the direction in which the phases of the main lobe electric fields of the first mode and the second mode differ by a first fixed value. The magnitude of the radiation electric field of the zero point is the difference between the absolute values ​​of the main lobe electric fields of the first mode and the second mode along the radiation direction of the zero point, and the magnitude of the radiation electric field of the main lobe is greater than or equal to three times the magnitude of the radiation electric field of the zero point.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The amplitude ratio of the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal is used to determine the pitch angle of the main lobe of radiation; the relative phase of the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal is used to determine the azimuth angle of the main lobe of radiation.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The element spacing includes the element spacing in a first direction and the element spacing in a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The spacing between array elements is greater than or equal to the first length.

7. A grid lobe suppression device, characterized in that, Includes at least one processor; The at least one processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions to enable the gate lobe suppression device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The grating lobe suppression device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The grating lobe suppression device also includes a memory; The processor is coupled to the memory; The memory is used to store the computer program or instructions.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6 to be performed.

10. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the program instructions are run on a computer, the computer causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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