Communication device and communication method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a communication device, comprising a monitoring module, a mode determining module, a control module, a first communication module and a second communication module; the first communication module comprises an omnidirectional antenna, a first signal conversion module and a first transmission link; the second communication module comprises a plurality of directional antennas, a second signal conversion module and a second transmission link; the monitoring module is configured to monitor at least the signal parameters of signals received by the omnidirectional antenna and transmitted through the first transmission link, and monitor the signal parameters of signals received by each directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link; the mode determining module is configured to determine the communication mode of the communication device based on the signal parameters of signals received by the omnidirectional antenna and the signal parameters of signals received by each directional antenna; and the control module is configured to control the working states of the first transmission link and the second transmission link according to the communication mode. The communication device of the present disclosure has the advantages of high communication rate and good stability.

Description

Communication equipment and communication methods Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure belongs to the field of communication technology, specifically relating to a communication device and a communication method. Background Technology

[0002] Shipborne wireless network communication equipment is used to maintain communication connections between ships and shore-based systems in a maritime environment. Existing shipborne wireless network communication equipment typically uses omnidirectional or directional antennas as transceiver antennas. The advantage of omnidirectional antennas is their ability to achieve 360-degree signal coverage, making them suitable for receiving signals from or radiating signals in all directions. The advantage of directional antennas is their higher gain and stronger signal radiation or reception capabilities in a specific direction, allowing them to receive signals over longer distances.

[0003] In related technologies, shipborne communication equipment based on omnidirectional antennas typically maintains communication by receiving signals from multiple directions. The main advantages of this type of equipment are its simple hardware structure and easy installation, eliminating the need for complex mechanical or electronic control systems to adjust the antenna's direction. However, shipborne communication equipment based on omnidirectional antennas has the following disadvantages: 1. Limited signal gain: As the distance between the ship and the shore base station increases, the signal strength and quality received by the communication equipment significantly decrease. 2. Because omnidirectional antennas can receive signals from all directions, communication equipment based on omnidirectional antennas cannot effectively filter or suppress interference signals from non-target directions. This limitation is particularly pronounced in environments with high marine interference.

[0004] Compared to the aforementioned communication equipment, shipborne communication equipment based on directional antennas offers higher signal gain and better target positioning capabilities. During implementation, directional antenna-based shipborne communication equipment typically requires mechanical steering or electronic beamforming technology to align with a specific base station and establish a communication connection. While this type of communication equipment significantly improves signal quality and communication range, it suffers from the following drawbacks: 1. It requires a complex and precise control system to ensure the antenna is aligned with the signal source in real time. This is not only technically demanding but also costly to implement in dynamic environments, such as on a constantly moving ship. 2. If the location of the base station or ship suddenly changes, the control system needs a considerable amount of time to reorient itself, during which time communication quality will continuously deteriorate or even be lost. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. On one hand, it provides a communication device, comprising a monitoring module, a mode determination module, a control module, a first communication module, and a second communication module. The first communication module includes an omnidirectional antenna, a first signal conversion module, and a first transmission link connecting the omnidirectional antenna and the first signal conversion module. The second communication module includes multiple directional antennas, a second signal conversion module, and a second transmission link connecting the directional antennas and the second signal conversion module. The monitoring module is configured to monitor at least the signal parameters of signals received by the omnidirectional antenna and transmitted through the first transmission link, and the signal parameters of signals received by each of the directional antennas and transmitted through the second transmission link. The mode determination module is configured to determine the communication mode of the communication device based on the signal parameters of the signals received by the omnidirectional antenna and the signal parameters of the signals received by each of the directional antennas. The control module is configured to control the operating state of the first transmission link and the second transmission link according to the communication mode.

[0006] In some examples, the mode determination module is configured to determine the communication mode of the communication device as a first communication mode when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet a first preset condition; when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet the first preset condition, the relative distance between the communication device and the base station is not greater than a first distance threshold; the control module is configured to control the first signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the first transmission link and the omnidirectional antenna, and to determine a target directional antenna and control the second signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the second transmission link and the target directional antenna; the strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signals received by the other directional antennas.

[0007] In some examples, the mode determination module is configured to, when the communication device is operating in the first communication mode, determine the communication mode of the communication device to be the second communication mode when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna do not meet the first preset condition and the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition; when the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition, the strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signal received by other directional antennas; when the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition, the strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signal received by other directional antennas; the control module is configured to, when the communication mode is the second communication mode, disconnect the communication connection between the first signal conversion module and the base station, and adjust the parameters of the second transmission link to adjust the gain of the signal transmitted by the target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the target directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link.

[0008] In some examples, the mode determination module is configured to determine the communication mode of the communication device as a third communication mode when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna do not meet the first preset condition and the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna do not meet the second preset condition while the communication device is operating in the second communication mode; the control module is configured to, when the communication mode is the third communication mode, control the first signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the first transmission link and the omnidirectional antenna, and disconnect the communication connection between the first signal conversion module and the base station after a first preset time; and, within the first preset time, determine the second target directional antenna, control the second signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the second transmission link and the second target directional antenna, and adjust the parameters of the second transmission link to adjust the gain of the signal transmitted by the second target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the second target directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link; the strength of the signal received by the second target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signals received by the other directional antennas.

[0009] In some examples, the first transmission link includes a first transmit link and a first receive link; the input of the first transmit link is connected to the first signal conversion module, and the first transmit link is configured to process the signal transmitted by the first signal conversion module under the control of the control module to generate a first transmit signal; the output of the first receive link is connected to the first signal conversion module, and the first receive link is configured to process the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna to generate a first receive signal, and transmit the first receive signal to the first signal conversion module under the control of the control module.

[0010] In some examples, the first communication module further includes: a first circulator; a first end of the first circulator is communicatively connected to the omnidirectional antenna, a second end of the first circulator is connected to the output of the first transmit link, and a third end of the first circulator is connected to the input of the first receive link; the first circulator is configured to transmit the first transmit signal to the omnidirectional antenna and to transmit the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna to the first receive link.

[0011] In some examples, the first transmit link includes: a first filter configured to filter the signal transmitted by the first signal conversion module; a first amplifier configured to amplify the signal filtered by the first filter; a first coupler configured to generate a first main signal and a first secondary signal based on the signal amplified by the first amplifier; a first gain equalization module configured to adjust the gain of the first main signal and generate a first control signal and a first adjustment signal; a first numerically controlled attenuator configured to control the amplitude of the first adjustment signal in response to the first control signal; a second filter configured to filter the signal output by the first numerically controlled attenuator; and a first power amplifier configured to enhance the signal of the second filter. The filtered signal is amplified; a first digital predistortion module is configured to generate a first predistortion signal based on the filtered signal from the second filter and the amplified signal from the first power amplifier, and transmit it to the first power amplifier; the first power amplifier is further configured to amplify the first predistortion signal to generate the first transmitted signal; the first secondary signal is transmitted to the monitoring module; the monitoring module is further configured to monitor the signal parameters of the first secondary signal and the first transmitted signal, generate a first monitoring result, and transmit it to the control module; the control module is further configured to adjust the parameters of the first transmission link based on the first monitoring result, so as to adjust the signal parameters of the first secondary signal and the first transmitted signal.

[0012] In some examples, the first receiving link includes: a first pre-filter configured to filter the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna; a second amplifier configured to amplify the signal filtered by the first pre-filter; a second coupler configured to generate a second main signal and a second secondary signal based on the signal amplified by the second amplifier; a first adjustable gain amplifier configured to adjust the gain of the second main signal under the control of a second control signal; a first gain control module configured to monitor the signal output by the first adjustable gain amplifier and generate a second control signal based on the signal output by the first adjustable gain amplifier; a first post-filter configured to filter the signal output by the first adjustable gain amplifier to generate a first received signal; the second secondary signal is transmitted to the monitoring module; the monitoring module is further configured to monitor the signal parameters of the second secondary signal and the first received signal, generate a second monitoring result, and transmit it to the control module; the control module is further configured to adjust the parameters of the first receiving link based on the second monitoring result to adjust the signal parameters of the second secondary signal and the first received signal.

[0013] In some examples, the second transmission link includes a second transmitting link and a second receiving link; the input of the second transmitting link is connected to the second signal conversion module, and the second transmitting link is configured to process the signal transmitted by the second signal conversion module under the control of the control module to generate a second transmitted signal; the output of the second receiving link is connected to the second signal conversion module, and the second receiving link is configured to process the signal received by the directional antenna to generate a second received signal, and transmit the second received signal to the second signal conversion module under the control of the control module.

[0014] In some examples, the second communication module further includes: a second circulator and a first gating module; the first gating module has an input terminal and a plurality of output terminals corresponding one-to-one with the directional antennas; the first gating module is configured to select one of the plurality of directional antennas to connect to the second transmission link under the control of the control module; a first terminal of the second circulator is connected to the input terminal of the first gating module; a second terminal of the second circulator is connected to the output terminal of the second transmit link; and a third terminal of the second circulator is connected to the input terminal of the second receive link; the second circulator is configured to transmit the second transmit signal to the directional antenna and transmit the signal received by the directional antenna to the second receive link.

[0015] In some examples, the second transmit link includes: a third filter configured to filter the signal transmitted by the second signal conversion module; a third amplifier configured to amplify the signal filtered by the third filter; a third coupler configured to generate a third main signal and a third secondary signal based on the signal amplified by the third amplifier; a second gain equalization module configured to adjust the gain of the third main signal and generate a third control signal and a second adjustment signal; a second digitally controlled attenuator configured to control the amplitude of the second adjustment signal in response to the third control signal; a fourth filter configured to filter the signal output by the second digitally controlled attenuator; and a second power amplifier configured to enhance the signal output by the fourth filter. The filtered signal is amplified; a second digital predistortion module is configured to generate a second predistortion signal based on the filtered signal from the fourth filter and the amplified signal from the second power amplifier, and transmit it to the second power amplifier; the second power amplifier is further configured to amplify the second predistortion signal to generate the second transmitted signal; the third auxiliary signal is transmitted to the monitoring module; the monitoring module is further configured to monitor the signal parameters of the third auxiliary signal and the second transmitted signal, generate a third monitoring result, and transmit it to the control module; the control module is further configured to adjust the parameters of the second transmission link based on the third monitoring result, so as to adjust the signal parameters of the third auxiliary signal and the second transmitted signal.

[0016] In some examples, the second transmit link further includes a thermal management module configured to detect temperature information of the second power amplifier and adjust the temperature of the second power amplifier based on the temperature information.

[0017] In some examples, the second receiving link includes: a second pre-filter configured to filter the signal received by the directional antenna; a fourth amplifier configured to amplify the signal filtered by the second pre-filter; a fourth coupler configured to generate a fourth main signal and a fourth secondary signal based on the signal amplified by the fourth amplifier; a second adjustable gain amplifier configured to adjust the gain of the fourth main signal under the control of a fourth control signal; a second gain control module configured to monitor the signal output by the second adjustable gain amplifier and generate a fourth control signal based on the signal output by the second adjustable gain amplifier; a second post-filter configured to filter the signal output by the second adjustable gain amplifier; a digital anti-interference module configured to filter out interference signals in the signal filtered by the second post-filter and generate a second received signal; the fourth secondary signal is transmitted to the monitoring module; the monitoring module is further configured to monitor the signal parameters of the fourth secondary signal and the second received signal, generate a fourth monitoring result, and transmit it to the control module; the control module is further configured to adjust the parameters of the second receiving link based on the fourth monitoring result to adjust the signal parameters of the fourth secondary signal and the second received signal.

[0018] Secondly, the present invention provides a communication method applied to a communication device described in any example of the first aspect above, wherein the communication method includes: monitoring, by a monitoring module, at least monitoring signal parameters of signals transmitted via a first transmission link and received by an omnidirectional antenna, and monitoring signal parameters of signals transmitted via a second transmission link and received by each directional antenna; determining, by a mode determination module, a communication mode of the communication device based on the signal parameters of the signals received by the omnidirectional antenna and the signal parameters of the signals received by each of the directional antennas; and controlling, by a control module, the operating states of the first transmission link and the second transmission link according to the communication mode.

[0019] In some examples, determining the communication mode of the communication device through the mode determination module includes: using the mode determination module to determine whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet a first preset condition, and when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet the first preset condition, determining the communication mode of the communication device as a first communication mode; when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet the first preset condition, the relative distance between the communication device and the base station is not greater than a first distance threshold; controlling the working state of the first transmission link and the second transmission link through the control module includes: using the control module to control the first signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the first transmission link and the omnidirectional antenna, and determining the target directional antenna, and controlling the second signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the second transmission link and the target directional antenna; the strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signals received by the other directional antennas.

[0020] In some examples, determining the communication mode of the communication device through the mode determination module includes: when the communication device is running in the first communication mode, determining whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet the first preset condition and whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition; when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna do not meet the first preset condition and the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition, determining the communication mode of the communication device as the second communication mode; when the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition, the strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signals received by other directional antennas; when the communication mode is the second communication mode, controlling the working state of the first transmission link and the second transmission link through the control module includes: disconnecting the communication connection between the first signal conversion module and the base station through the control module, and adjusting the parameters of the second transmission link to adjust the gain of the signal transmitted by the target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the target directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link.

[0021] In some examples, determining the communication mode of the communication device via the mode determination module includes: when the communication device is operating in the second communication mode, determining whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet the first preset condition and whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition; when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna do not meet the first preset condition and the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna do not meet the second preset condition, determining the communication mode of the communication device to be a third communication mode; when the communication mode is the third communication mode, controlling the operating state of the first transmission link and the second transmission link via the control module includes: The control module controls the first signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the first transmission link and the omnidirectional antenna, and disconnects the communication connection between the first signal conversion module and the base station after a first preset time. Within the first preset time, a second target directional antenna is identified, and the second signal conversion module is controlled to communicate with the base station through the second transmission link and the second target directional antenna. The parameters of the second transmission link are adjusted to regulate the gain of the signal transmitted by the second target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the second target directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link. The strength of the signal received by the second target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signals received by the other directional antennas. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the module structure of the communication equipment provided in this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 2 shows the working status of the communication device in the first communication mode.

[0024] Figure 3 shows the working status of the communication device in the second communication mode.

[0025] Figure 4 shows the working status of the communication device in the third communication mode.

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the first transmission link.

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the first receiving link.

[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the second transmission link.

[0029] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the second receiving link.

[0030] The attached figures are labeled as follows: 1. First communication module; 2. Second communication module; 3. Monitoring module; 4. Mode determination module; 5. Control module; 11. Omnidirectional antenna; 12. First circulator; 13. First transmission link; 14. First signal conversion module; 21. Directional antenna; 22. Second circulator; 23. Second transmission link; 24. Second signal conversion module; 25. First gating module; 131. First transmit link; 132. First receive link; 231. Second transmit link; 232. Second receive link; 1311. First filter; 1312. First amplifier; 1313. First coupler; 1314. First gain equalization module; 1315. First digitally controlled attenuator; 1316. Second filter; 1317. First power amplifier; 1318. First digital predistortion module; 1321. First pre-filter; 1322. Second... Amplifier; 1323, Second Coupler; 1324, First Adjustable Gain Amplifier; 1325, First Gain Control Module; 1326, First Post-Filter; 2311, Third Filter; 2312, Third Amplifier; 2313, Third Coupler; 2314, Second Gain Equalization Module; 2315, Second Digitally Controlled Attenuator; 2316, Fourth Filter; 2317, Second Power Amplifier; 2318, Second Digital Predistortion Module; 2319, Thermal Management Module; 2321, Second Pre-Filter; 2322, Fourth Amplifier; 2323, Fourth Coupler; 2324, Second Adjustable Gain Amplifier; 2325, Second Gain Control Module; 2326, Second Post-Filter; 2327, Digital Anti-interference Module. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms “an,” “a,” or “the,” and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms “including,” “comprising,” or “containing,” and similar terms mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms “connected,” “linked,” or similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right,” etc., are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, and these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described objects changes.

[0033] As used herein, “parallel” and “perpendicular” include the described situation and situations that are similar to the described situation, within an acceptable range of deviation, which is determined by those skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, “parallel” includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate parallelism may be, for example, within 5°; “perpendicular” includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate perpendicularity may also be, for example, within 5°.

[0034] It should be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being on another layer or substrate, it can mean that the layer or element is directly on the other layer or substrate, or that there is an intermediate layer between the layer or element and the other layer or substrate.

[0035] In this article, "electrical connection" includes the situation where constituent elements are connected together by a component that has a certain electrical function. There are no particular restrictions on the "component that has a certain electrical function" as long as it enables the transmission and reception of electrical signals between the connected constituent elements. Examples of "components that have a certain electrical function" include not only electrodes and wiring, but also switching elements such as transistors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, and other components with various functions.

[0036] This document describes exemplary embodiments with reference to sectional views and / or plan views, which are idealized exemplary drawings. In the drawings, the thickness of layers and regions is enlarged for clarity. Therefore, variations in shape relative to the drawings are contemplated due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Therefore, exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but rather include shape deviations due to, for example, manufacturing processes. Thus, the regions shown in the drawings are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to show the actual shapes of the regions of the device, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0037] In related technologies, shipborne wireless network communication equipment typically uses omnidirectional or directional antennas as transceiver antennas. Omnidirectional antenna-based communication equipment suffers from limitations such as limited signal gain and an inability to effectively filter or suppress interference signals from non-target directions. While directional antenna-based communication equipment offers higher signal gain and better target positioning capabilities, it requires a complex and precise control system to ensure the antenna is aligned with the signal source in real time, resulting in unstable communication quality and high cost.

[0038] To address at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, this disclosure provides a communication device. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the module structure of the communication device provided by this disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the communication device provided by this disclosure includes: a first communication module 1, a second communication module 2, a monitoring module 3, a mode determination module 4, and a control module 5.

[0039] The first communication module 1 includes an omnidirectional antenna 11, a first signal conversion module 14, and a first transmission link 13 connecting the omnidirectional antenna 11 and the first signal conversion module 14. The second communication module 2 includes multiple directional antennas 21, a second signal conversion module 24, and a second transmission link 23 connecting the directional antennas 21 and the second signal conversion module 24. Preferably, both the omnidirectional antenna 11 and the directional antenna 21 are transceiver antennas. The directional antenna 21 can be a sector antenna, in which case the multiple directional antennas are multi-sector antennas, such as a six-sector antenna, where the radiation range of each sector antenna is 60°. The first signal conversion module 14 and the second signal conversion module 24 can be 5G CPE modules. The 5G CPE module can connect to the user terminal via WiFi or a router AP. Typically, the 5G CPE module includes a baseband processing unit, a modem, a channel encoder, and a channel decoder, etc., used to receive and demodulate the signals transmitted by the base station to realize high-speed data transmission between the base station and the user terminal.

[0040] The monitoring module 3 is configured to monitor at least the signal parameters of signals transmitted via the first transmission link 13 and received by the omnidirectional antenna 11, and the signal parameters of signals transmitted via the second transmission link 23 and received by each directional antenna 21. The signal parameters may include signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), bit error rate (BER), signal quality, etc. Signal strength may include the signal strength (RSRP) of the reference signal emitted by the base station, and signal quality may include the signal quality (RSRQ) of the reference signal emitted by the base station. It is understood that signal strength and signal quality are affected by the relative distance and relative angle between the communication equipment and the base station.

[0041] The mode determination module 4 is configured to determine the communication mode of the communication device based on the signal parameters of the signals received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 and the signal parameters of the signals received by each directional antenna 21.

[0042] The control module 5 is configured to control the operating state of the first transmission link 13 and the second transmission link 23 according to the communication mode. Specifically, the control module 5 can control the opening or closing of the first transmission link 13 and the second transmission link 23 according to the communication mode. It should be understood that when the first transmission link 13 is closed, the signal cannot be transmitted between the first signal conversion module 14 and the omnidirectional antenna 11, and the user terminal cannot communicate with the base station through the first communication module 1; similarly, when the second transmission link 23 is closed, the signal cannot be transmitted between the second signal conversion module 24 and the directional antenna 21, and the user terminal cannot communicate with the base station through the second communication module 2.

[0043] The communication device provided in this disclosure is equipped with an omnidirectional antenna 11 with a wide coverage area and multiple directional antennas 21 with different coverage areas and long transmission distances. Compared with traditional communication devices that only use omnidirectional antennas, the communication device provided in this disclosure can use the directional antennas 21 in the second communication module 2 to achieve communication with the base station when the ship is far away from the base station. Therefore, it has the advantage of maintaining signal stability during long-distance transmission and can effectively avoid the problem of significant signal quality degradation as the distance between the ship and the base station increases in traditional communication devices. Compared with traditional communication devices that only use directional antennas, the communication device provided in this disclosure can use both the omnidirectional antenna 11 and the directional antennas 21 to achieve communication with the base station when the ship is close to the base station. Therefore, it has the advantages of high transmission efficiency and high stability at short distances.

[0044] Furthermore, the communication equipment disclosed herein can monitor the signal parameters of the signals received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 and each directional antenna 21 in real time through the monitoring module 3, determine the communication mode that the communication equipment should currently adopt using the mode determination module 4, and flexibly switch the communication status of different communication modules using the control module 5. This is equivalent to selecting a suitable communication module to establish a communication connection with the base station based on the relative position of the ship and the base station or based on changes in the environment in which the communication equipment is located. This avoids a significant decrease in signal quality as the distance between the ship and the base station increases, ensuring that the communication equipment maintains optimal communication quality during ship movement. Therefore, it is suitable for various communication environments. In short, the communication equipment provided by this disclosure has advantages such as high communication efficiency, stable transmission performance, and wide application scenarios.

[0045] The following section will introduce the three communication modes of the communication equipment during ship movement and the working status of each communication module under different communication modes.

[0046] The first communication mode is suitable for situations where the ship and the shore base station are relatively close. In this case, the functions of the mode determination module 4 and the control module 5 are as follows:

[0047] The mode determination module 4 is configured to determine the communication mode of the communication device as the first communication mode when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 meet a first preset condition. The first preset condition includes: the signal strength P1 of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 is not less than a first strength threshold. At this point, when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet the first preset condition, it means that the relative distance between the communication equipment (ship) and the base station is no greater than the first distance threshold. It is understood that this first distance threshold depends on the radiation distance of the omnidirectional antenna 11 and should be less than the radiation distance of the omnidirectional antenna 11.

[0048] Accordingly, in the first communication mode, the control module 5 is configured to control the first signal conversion module 14 to communicate with the base station through the first transmission link 13 and the omnidirectional antenna 11, and to determine the target directional antenna, and control the second signal conversion module 24 to communicate with the base station through the second transmission link 23 and the target directional antenna. The target directional antenna satisfies the following condition: the signal strength received by the target directional antenna is not less than the signal strength received by other directional antennas.

[0049] Figure 2 illustrates the operating state of the communication device in the first communication mode. As shown in Figure 2, when the communication device operates in the first communication mode, the first signal conversion module 14 can establish a communication connection with the base station through the first transmission link 13 and the omnidirectional antenna 11, enabling the user terminal to communicate with the base station through the first communication module 1. Simultaneously, the second signal conversion module 24 can establish a communication connection with the base station through the second transmission link 23 and the target directional antenna, enabling the user terminal to communicate with the base station through the second communication module 2. Therefore, this paper refers to the first communication mode as the "dual-stream communication mode." In this mode, the user terminal can establish a communication connection with the base station through the first communication module 1 and the second communication module 2. Compared with traditional communication devices that only use omnidirectional antennas or only use directional antennas, this method has the advantages of high communication speed and good stability.

[0050] In specific implementation, the process by which the control module 5 determines the target directional antenna is as follows: A first gating module 25 is set between the multiple directional antennas 21 and the second transmission link 23. Under the control of the control module 5, this first gating module 25 sequentially connects each directional antenna 21 to the second transmission link 23. The monitoring module 3 sequentially monitors the signal parameters of the signals received by each directional antenna 21. The control module 5 compares the signal strengths of the signals received by each directional antenna 21 and selects the directional antenna 21 with the highest signal strength as the target directional antenna. For example, the first gating module 25 can be a single-pole multi-throw switch, having one input terminal and multiple output terminals connected one-to-one with each directional antenna 21. It is configured to select one of the multiple directional antennas 21 to connect to the second transmission link 23 under the control of the control module 5. For instance, when the multiple directional antennas are six-sector antennas, the first gating module 25 is a single-pole six-throw switch.

[0051] In specific implementation, the control module 5 controls the working state of the first transmission link 13 and the second transmission link 23, which can be achieved in the following way: a first switching element (not shown in Figure 1) is set between the first transmission link 13 and the first signal conversion module 14. Under the control of the control module 5, the first switching element connects or disconnects the first signal conversion module 14 and the first transmission link 13. Similarly, a second switching element (not shown in Figure 1) can be set between the second transmission link 23 and the second signal conversion module 24. Under the control of the control module 5, the second switching element connects or disconnects the second signal conversion module 24 and the second transmission link 23. As shown in Figure 1, the first transmission link 13 includes a first transmitting link 131 and a first receiving link 132, and the second transmission link 23 includes a second transmitting link 231 and a second receiving link 232. At this time, the control module 5 controls the operating state of the first transmission link 13 and the second transmission link 23, which can be achieved in the following way: A first switching element is set between the first receiving link 132 and the first signal conversion module 14. Under the control of the control module 5, the first switching element can control the connection state between the first signal conversion module 14 and the first receiving link 132. The operating state of the first transmitting link 131 is controlled by the power controller. For example, when it is necessary to disconnect the first transmitting link 131 from the first signal conversion module 14, the power supply to the first transmitting link 131 can be disconnected by the power controller. Correspondingly, a second switching element is set between the second receiving link 232 and the second signal conversion module 24. Under the control of the control module 5, the second switching element can control the connection state between the second signal conversion module 24 and the second receiving link 232. The operating state of the second transmitting link 231 is controlled by the power controller. For example, when it is necessary to disconnect the second transmitting link 231 from the second signal conversion module 24, the power supply to the second transmitting link 231 can be disconnected by the power controller.

[0052] The second communication mode is applicable when, during the first communication mode, the increased distance between the ship and the shore base station deteriorates the signal parameters of the omnidirectional antenna, and the signal parameters of the directional antenna connected to the base station in the second communication module are superior to those of other directional antennas. In this case, the functions of the mode determination module 4 and the control module 5 are as follows:

[0053] The mode determination module 4 is configured to, when the communication device is operating in the first communication mode, determine the communication mode of the communication device to be the second communication mode if the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 do not meet the first preset condition, but the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition. The first preset condition, as described above, refers to the signal strength P1 of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 being no less than a first strength threshold. Therefore, the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 do not meet the first preset condition, meaning that the relative distance between the communication equipment (ship) and the base station is greater than the first distance threshold. The second preset condition refers to the signal strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna being no less than the signal strength of the signal received by the other directional antennas 21; therefore, the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition, meaning that the signal strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna is no less than the signal strength of the signal received by the other directional antennas 21.

[0054] The control module 5 is configured to disconnect the communication connection between the first signal conversion module 14 and the base station when the communication mode is the second communication mode; and to adjust the parameters of the second transmission link 23 to adjust the gain of the signal transmitted by the target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the target directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link 23.

[0055] In other words, when the distance between the ship and the base station increases, i.e., the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 deteriorate, but the directional antenna in the second communication module connected to the base station still meets the condition that the strength of the signal it receives is not less than the strength of the signal received by other directional antennas, the communication mode is switched from the first communication mode to the second communication mode. Figure 3 shows the working state of the communication equipment in the second communication mode. As can be seen from Figure 3, in the second communication mode, the user end cannot communicate with the base station through the omnidirectional antenna 11, but can only communicate with the base station through the directional antenna 21 with a longer radiation distance. In order to avoid the signal transmission rate and stability decrease when using only the second communication module 2 for communication, the control module 5 needs to adjust the parameters of the second transmission link 23 to adjust the gain of the signal transmitted by the target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the target directional antenna, so as to ensure that the communication equipment still has good communication efficiency and stability when the distance between the ship and the base station increases. In addition, since the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 deteriorate, the first transmission link 13 is disconnected from the first signal conversion module 14, which can save power consumption and cost.

[0056] It should be noted that when the first transmission link 13 is disconnected from the first signal conversion module 14, the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 from the base station can only be transmitted to the monitoring module 3 through the first transmission link 13, but cannot be transmitted to the first signal conversion module 14 through the first transmission link 13.

[0057] The third communication mode is applicable when the signal parameters of the signal received by the directional antenna connected to the base station in the second communication module deteriorate while the communication device is operating in the second communication mode. In this case, the functions of the mode determination module 4 and the control module 5 are as follows:

[0058] The mode determination module 4 is configured to determine the communication mode of the communication device to be a third communication mode when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 do not meet the first preset condition and the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna do not meet the second preset condition while the communication device is operating in the second communication mode. The first preset condition, as described above, refers to the signal strength of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 being no less than a first strength threshold; the second preset condition, as described above, refers to the signal strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna being no less than the signal strength of the signal received by the other directional antennas 21. Therefore, when the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna do not meet the second preset condition, it means that the signal strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna is less than the signal strength of the signal received by the other directional antennas 21.

[0059] Control module 5 is configured to, in the third communication mode, control the first signal conversion module 14 to communicate with the base station via the first transmission link 13 and the omnidirectional antenna 11, and disconnect the communication connection between the first signal conversion module 14 and the base station after a first preset time. Furthermore, within the first preset time, control the second signal conversion module 24 to communicate with the base station via the second transmission link 23 and the second target directional antenna, and adjust the parameters of the second transmission link 23 to adjust the gain of the signal transmitted by the second target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the second target directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link 23. The second target directional antenna satisfies the condition that the strength of the signal it receives is not less than the strength of the signal received by the other directional antennas 21.

[0060] In other words, when the relative angle between the ship and the base station changes significantly, i.e., when the signal strength of the signal received by the directional antenna 21 currently connected to the second transmission link 23 is no longer the maximum value among the signal strengths received by each directional antenna, the communication mode is switched from the second communication mode to the third communication mode. Figure 4 shows the working state of the communication equipment in the third communication mode. As shown in Figure 4, in the third communication mode, the user terminal temporarily communicates with the base station through the omnidirectional antenna 11 within a first preset time, thus avoiding communication interruption between the user terminal and the base station. At the same time, the control module 5 re-determines the directional antenna with the strongest signal strength within the first preset time, i.e., the second target directional antenna, and then connects the second signal conversion module 24 to the base station through the second transmission link 23 and the second target directional antenna. After the first preset time (i.e., after the second signal conversion module 24 is connected to the base station), the communication connection between the first signal conversion module 14 and the base station is disconnected. Similarly, to avoid a decrease in signal transmission rate and stability when using only the directional antenna 21 for communication, the control module 5 still needs to adjust the parameters of the second transmission link 23 to adjust the gain of the signal transmitted by the second target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the second target directional antenna, ensuring that the communication equipment maintains good communication efficiency and stability as the distance between the ship and the base station increases. Furthermore, after the second signal conversion module 24 establishes a communication connection with the base station, shutting down the first transmission link 13 disconnects the first communication module 1 from the base station, saving power consumption and cost.

[0061] In summary, the communication equipment disclosed herein can flexibly switch communication modes according to the relative position between the ship and the base station. Specifically, when the ship and the base station are close, both an omnidirectional antenna and a target directional antenna are used for communication. When the distance between the ship and the base station increases and the signal parameters of the signal received by the directional antenna connected to the base station are better than those of other directional antennas, the first transmission link is disconnected, and communication is achieved using only the target directional antenna, while the gain of the signal transmitted through the second transmission link is increased. When the distance between the ship and the base station increases and the signal parameters of the signal received by the directional antenna connected to the base station deteriorate, the first transmission link is temporarily activated, and communication with the base station is achieved using the omnidirectional antenna. At the same time, the second target directional antenna is re-determined, and the gain of the signal transmitted through the second transmission link is increased. Afterward, the first transmission link is disconnected, and communication is achieved using only the second target directional antenna. This reduces the impact of changes in the ship's position on signal transmission efficiency and stability, ensuring the communication quality between the user terminal and the communication equipment during ship movement.

[0062] Referring again to Figure 1, the first transmission link 13 includes a first transmitting link 131 and a first receiving link 132. The input of the first transmitting link 131 is connected to the first signal conversion module 14. The first transmitting link 131 is configured, under the control of the control module 5, to process the signal transmitted by the first signal conversion module 14 and generate a first transmitted signal. The output of the first receiving link 132 is connected to the first signal conversion module 14. The first receiving link 132 is configured to process the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11, generate a first received signal, and, under the control of the control module 5, transmit the first received signal to the first signal conversion module 14.

[0063] In some examples, the first communication module 1 further includes a first circulator 12. The first circulator 12 has three ports: a first port is communicatively connected to the omnidirectional antenna 12, a second port is connected to the output of the first transmit link 131, and a third port is connected to the input of the first receive link 132. The first circulator 12 is configured to transmit a first transmit signal to the omnidirectional antenna 11 and to transmit the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 to the first receive link 132.

[0064] Circulators are commonly used to achieve unidirectional signal transmission. In the example above, by setting up the first circulator 12, mutual interference between the signals transmitted and received by the omnidirectional antenna 12 can be avoided, thus improving signal quality and communication efficiency during the communication process.

[0065] The specific structures of the first transmit link 131 and the first receive link 132 will be described next.

[0066] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the first transmission link. As shown in Figure 5, the first transmission link 131 includes a first filter 1311, a first amplifier 1312, a first coupler 1313, a first gain equalization module 1314, a first digitally controlled attenuator 1315, a second filter 1316, a first power amplifier 1317, and a first digital predistortion module 1318 connected in sequence.

[0067] The first filter 1311 is configured to filter the signal transmitted by the first signal conversion module 14 (the initial transmitted signal in Figure 5). Specifically, it filters out spurious signals and out-of-band interference signals in the initial transmitted signal to generate a clean transmitted signal.

[0068] The first amplifier 1312 is configured to amplify the transmitted signal filtered by the first filter 1311. For example, the first amplifier 1312 may be a driver amplifier used to initially amplify the transmitted signal filtered by the first filter 1311 to ensure stability during subsequent signal processing.

[0069] The first coupler 1313 is configured to generate a first main signal and a first secondary signal based on the signal amplified by the first amplifier 1312. The first main signal is used to generate the subsequent first transmission signal, and the first secondary signal is transmitted to the monitoring module 3. The monitoring module 3 can obtain the signal parameters of the transmission signal and the setting parameters of the first transmission link 131 through the first secondary signal.

[0070] The first gain equalization module 1314 is configured to adjust the gain of the first main signal, generating a first control signal and a first adjustment signal. Fluctuations in device temperature or signal power can cause signal gain fluctuations. The first gain equalization module 1314 can dynamically adjust the signal gain, thereby effectively reducing gain fluctuations.

[0071] The first numerically controlled attenuator 1315 is configured to control the amplitude of the first adjustment signal in response to a first control signal. The first numerically controlled attenuator 1315 can control the signal amplitude with high precision, thereby ensuring that the communication equipment can stably output a high-quality signal under different operating conditions.

[0072] The second filter 1316 is configured to filter the signal output by the first digitally controlled attenuator 1315. Specifically, the second filter 1316 is mainly used to filter out intermodulation spurious signals and out-of-band interference signals generated after being amplified by the first amplifier 1312.

[0073] The first power amplifier 1317 is configured to amplify the signal filtered by the second filter 1316. Specifically, the first power amplifier 1317 is used to amplify the transmitted signal a second time to form a high-power transmitted signal, so as to ensure that the transmitted signal can be transmitted over long distances.

[0074] The first digital predistortion module 1318 is configured to generate a first predistorted signal based on the signal filtered by the second filter 1316 and the signal amplified by the first power amplifier 1317, and transmit it to the first power amplifier 1317. The first power amplifier 1317 is also configured to amplify the first predistorted signal to generate a first transmitted signal. The first digital predistortion module 1318 can monitor the operating status of the first power amplifier 1317 in real time, and by performing predistortion processing on the signal generated by the first power amplifier 1317, compensate for the nonlinear distortion caused by temperature or frequency drift of the first power amplifier 1317, thereby improving the signal quality of the transmitted signal.

[0075] In addition, monitoring module 3 is also configured to monitor the signal parameters of the first secondary signal and the first transmitted signal, and generate a first monitoring result which is transmitted to control module 5. Control module 5 is further configured to adjust the parameters of the first transmission link 131 (e.g., the parameters of the first gain equalization module 1314 or the first power amplifier 1317) based on the first monitoring result to adjust the signal parameters of the first secondary signal and the first transmitted signal. By monitoring the signal parameters of the signal transmitted by the first transmission link 131 in real time, the parameters of the first transmission link 131 can be dynamically adjusted to ensure the signal quality of the first transmitted signal, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the communication equipment.

[0076] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first receiving link 132. As shown in Figure 6, the first receiving link 132 includes: a first pre-filter 1321, a second amplifier 1322, a second coupler 1323, a first adjustable gain amplifier 1324, a first gain control module 1325, and a first post-filter 1326.

[0077] The first pre-filter 1321 is configured to filter the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 (the initial received signal in Figure 6). Specifically, the first pre-filter 1321 is used to initially filter out out-of-band interference signals and spurious signals in the initial received signal, generating a relatively clean received signal.

[0078] The second amplifier 1322 is configured to amplify the signal filtered by the first pre-filter 1321. For example, the second amplifier 1322 may be a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to initially amplify the signal filtered by the first pre-filter 1321 while minimizing the noise figure in the first receiving link 132 and improving the quality of the received signal.

[0079] The second coupler 1323 is configured to generate a second main signal and a second auxiliary signal based on the signal amplified by the second amplifier 1322. The second main signal is used to subsequently generate the first received signal, and the second auxiliary signal is transmitted to the monitoring module 3. The monitoring module 3 can obtain the signal parameters of the received signal and the setting parameters of the first receiving link 132 based on the second auxiliary signal.

[0080] The first adjustable gain amplifier 1324 is configured to adjust the gain of the second main signal under the control of the second control signal; the first gain control module 1325 is configured to monitor the signal output by the first adjustable gain amplifier 1324 and generate the second control signal based on the signal output by the first adjustable gain amplifier 1324. Under the control of the first gain control module 1325, the first adjustable gain amplifier 1324 can dynamically adjust the gain of the second main signal, so that the adjusted received signal adapts to different operating conditions.

[0081] The first post-filter 1325 is configured to filter the signal output from the first adjustable gain amplifier 1324 to generate a first received signal. The first post-filter 1325 is used to filter the received signal after preliminary amplification, mainly to filter out secondary spurious signals and interference signals introduced during the amplification process.

[0082] In addition, monitoring module 3 is also configured to monitor the signal parameters of the second auxiliary signal and the first received signal, and generate a second monitoring result which is transmitted to control module 5. Control module 5 is further configured to adjust the parameters of the first receiving link 132 (e.g., adjust the parameters of the first adjustable gain amplifier 1324) based on the second monitoring result, thereby adjusting the signal parameters of the second auxiliary signal and the first received signal. By monitoring the signal parameters of the signal transmitted by the first receiving link 132 in real time, the parameters of the first receiving link 132 can be dynamically adjusted to ensure the signal quality of the first received signal, thereby improving the receiving efficiency of the communication device.

[0083] Referring again to Figure 1, the second transmission link 23 includes a second transmitting link 231 and a second receiving link 232. The input of the second transmitting link 231 is connected to the second signal conversion module 24 and is configured to process the signal transmitted by the second signal conversion module 24 under the control of the control module 5 to generate a second transmitted signal. The output of the second receiving link 232 is connected to the second signal conversion module 24 and is configured to process the signal received by the directional antenna 21 to generate a second received signal, which is then transmitted to the second signal conversion module 24 under the control of the control module 5.

[0084] Furthermore, referring back to Figure 1, the second communication module 2 also includes a second circulator 22. The second circulator 22 has three ports: a first port connected to the first gating module 25, a second port connected to the output of the second transmit link 231, and a third port connected to the input of the second receive link 232. The second circulator 22 is configured to transmit a second transmit signal to the directional antenna 21 and to transmit the signal received by the directional antenna 21 to the second receive link 232.

[0085] In the example above, by setting up a second circulator 22, mutual interference between the signals transmitted and received by the directional antenna 22 can be avoided, thus improving the signal quality and communication efficiency during the communication process.

[0086] The structure of the second transmit link 231 and the second receive link 232 will be described next.

[0087] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the second transmission link. As shown in Figure 7, the second transmission link 231 includes: a third filter 2311, a third amplifier 2312, a third coupler 2313, a second gain equalization module 2314, a second digitally controlled attenuator 2315, a fourth filter 2316, a second power amplifier 2317, and a second digital predistortion module 2318.

[0088] The third filter 2311 is configured to filter the signal transmitted by the second signal conversion module 24 (the initial transmitted signal shown in Figure 7). Specifically, it filters out spurious signals and out-of-band interference signals in the initial transmitted signal to generate a clean transmitted signal.

[0089] The third amplifier 2312 is configured to amplify the signal filtered by the third filter 2311. For example, the third amplifier 2312 may be a driver amplifier used to initially amplify the transmitted signal filtered by the third filter 2311 to ensure stability during subsequent signal processing.

[0090] The third coupler 2313 is configured to generate a third main signal and a third secondary signal based on the signal amplified by the third amplifier 2312. The third main signal is used to generate the subsequent second transmission signal, and the third secondary signal is transmitted to the monitoring module 3. The monitoring module 3 can obtain the signal parameters of the transmission signal and the setting parameters of the second transmission link 231 through the third secondary signal.

[0091] The second gain equalization module 2314 is configured to adjust the gain of the third main signal, generating a third control signal and a second adjustment signal. The second gain equalization module 2314 can dynamically adjust the signal gain, thereby effectively reducing gain fluctuations caused by fluctuations in device temperature or signal power.

[0092] The second numerically controlled attenuator 2315 is configured to control the amplitude of the second adjustment signal in response to the third control signal. The second numerically controlled attenuator 2315 can control the signal amplitude with high precision, thereby ensuring that the communication equipment can stably output high-quality signals under different operating conditions.

[0093] The fourth filter 2316 is configured to filter the signal output by the second digitally controlled attenuator 2315. Specifically, the fourth filter 2316 is mainly used to filter out intermodulation spurious signals and out-of-band interference signals generated after being amplified by the third amplifier 2312.

[0094] The second power amplifier 2317 is configured to amplify the signal filtered by the fourth filter 2316. Specifically, the second power amplifier 2317 is used to amplify the transmitted signal a second time to form a high-power transmitted signal, ensuring that the transmitted signal can be transmitted over long distances.

[0095] The second digital predistortion module 2318 is configured to generate a second predistorted signal based on the signal filtered by the fourth filter 2316 and the signal amplified by the second power amplifier 2317, and transmit it to the second power amplifier 2317. The second power amplifier 2317 is also configured to amplify the second predistorted signal to generate a second transmitted signal. The second digital predistortion module 2318 can monitor the operating status of the second power amplifier 2317 in real time, and by performing predistortion processing on the signal generated by the second power amplifier 2317, it compensates for the nonlinear distortion caused by temperature or frequency drift in the second power amplifier 2317, thereby improving the signal quality of the transmitted signal.

[0096] In addition, in some examples, the second transmit link 231 also includes a thermal management module 2319, which includes a temperature sensor and an active heat dissipation device. The thermal management module 2319 is configured to detect the temperature of the second power amplifier 2317 in real time, and when the temperature exceeds a temperature threshold, use the active heat dissipation device to adjust the temperature of the second power amplifier 2317 to avoid the temperature rise causing a decrease in the quality of the second transmit signal generated by the second power amplifier 2317.

[0097] In addition, monitoring module 3 is also configured to monitor the signal parameters of the third auxiliary signal and the second transmitted signal, and generate a third monitoring result which is transmitted to control module 5. Control module 5 is also configured to adjust the parameters of the second transmission link 231 based on the third monitoring result, thereby adjusting the signal parameters of the third auxiliary signal and the second transmitted signal. By monitoring the signal parameters of the signals transmitted by the second transmission link 231 in real time, the parameters of the second transmission link 231 can be dynamically adjusted to ensure the signal quality of the second transmitted signal, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the communication equipment.

[0098] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the second receiving link 232. As shown in Figure 8, the second receiving link 232 includes: a second pre-filter 2321, a fourth amplifier 2322, a fourth coupler 2323, a second adjustable gain amplifier 2324, a second gain control module 2325, a second post-filter 2326, and a digital anti-interference module 2327.

[0099] The second pre-filter 2321 is configured to filter the signal received by the directional antenna 21 (the initial received signal in Figure 8). Specifically, the second pre-filter 2321 is used to initially filter out out-of-band interference and spurious signals in the initial received signal, generating a relatively clean received signal.

[0100] The fourth amplifier 2322 is configured to amplify the signal filtered by the second pre-filter 2321. For example, the fourth amplifier 2322 may be a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to initially amplify the signal filtered by the first pre-filter 1321 while minimizing the noise figure in the first receiving link 132 and improving the quality of the received signal.

[0101] The fourth coupler 2323 is configured to generate a fourth main signal and a fourth secondary signal based on the signal amplified by the fourth amplifier 2322. The fourth main signal is used to generate the second received signal, and the fourth secondary signal is transmitted to the monitoring module 3. The monitoring module 3 can obtain the signal parameters of the received signal and the setting parameters of the second receiving link 232 based on the fourth secondary signal.

[0102] The second adjustable gain amplifier 2324 is configured to adjust the gain of the fourth main signal under the control of the fourth control signal; the second gain control module 2325 is configured to monitor the signal output by the second adjustable gain amplifier 2324 and generate the fourth control signal based on the signal output by the second adjustable gain amplifier 2324. Under the control of the second gain control module 2325, the second adjustable gain amplifier 2324 can dynamically adjust the gain of the fourth main signal, so that the adjusted received signal adapts to different operating conditions.

[0103] The second post-filter 2325 is configured to filter the signal output from the second adjustable gain amplifier 2324. The first post-filter 1325 is mainly used to filter the received signal after preliminary amplification, removing secondary spurious signals and interference signals introduced during the amplification process.

[0104] The digital anti-interference module 2326 is configured to filter out interference signals in the signal filtered by the second post-filter 2325, generating a second received signal. The digital anti-interference module 2326 can filter out interference signals generated by multipath effects in real time using an adaptive algorithm, further improving the signal quality of the received signal.

[0105] In addition, monitoring module 3 is also configured to monitor the signal parameters of the fourth secondary signal and the second received signal, and generate a fourth monitoring result which is transmitted to control module 5. Control module 5 is further configured to adjust the parameters of the second receiving link 232 based on the fourth monitoring result (e.g., adjusting the parameters of the second adjustable gain amplifier 2324) to adjust the signal parameters of the fourth secondary signal and the second received signal. By monitoring the signal parameters of the signal transmitted by the second receiving link 232 in real time, the parameters of the second receiving link 232 can be dynamically adjusted to ensure the signal quality of the second received signal, thereby improving the receiving efficiency of the communication device.

[0106] Understandably, as mentioned above, in the second or third communication mode, the control module 5 controls the parameters of the second transmission link 23 to adjust the gain of the transmitted or received signal through the second transmission link 23. In specific implementation, the gain of the transmitted signal can be adjusted by adjusting the parameters of the second gain equalization module 2314 in the second transmission link 231; or the gain of the received signal can be adjusted by adjusting the parameters of the second adjustable gain amplifier 2324 in the second receiving link 232.

[0107] Secondly, this disclosure also provides a communication method applied to the communication device provided in the first aspect.

[0108] The communication methods provided in this disclosure include:

[0109] Step S1: The monitoring module 3 monitors at least the signal parameters of the signals transmitted through the first transmission link 13 and received by the omnidirectional antenna 11, and monitors the signal parameters of the signals transmitted through the second transmission link 23 and received by each directional antenna 21.

[0110] Step S2: The mode determination module 4 determines the communication mode of the communication device based on the signal parameters of the signals received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 and the signal parameters of the signals received by each directional antenna 21.

[0111] Step S3: Control module 5 controls the working status of the first transmission link 13 and the second transmission link 23 according to the communication mode.

[0112] Specifically, in step S2, the communication mode of the communication device is determined by the mode determination module 4, including:

[0113] The mode determination module 4 determines whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 meet the first preset condition. If the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 meet the first preset condition, the communication mode of the communication device is determined to be the first communication mode. Specifically, when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 meet the first preset condition, the relative distance between the communication device and the base station is not greater than a first distance threshold. The setting of the first preset condition can be referred to the above, and will not be repeated here.

[0114] Accordingly, in step S3, the operating status of the first transmission link and the second transmission link is controlled by the control module 5, including:

[0115] Control module 5 controls the first signal conversion module 14 to communicate with the base station via the first transmission link 13 and the omnidirectional antenna 11, and determines the target directional antenna, controlling the second signal conversion module 24 to communicate with the base station via the second transmission link 23 and the target directional antenna. The target directional antenna satisfies the following condition: the strength of the signal it receives is not less than the strength of the signal received by other directional antennas.

[0116] Furthermore, in step S2, the communication mode of the communication device is determined by the mode determination module 4, including:

[0117] When the communication device is operating in the first communication mode, it determines whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 meet the first preset condition and whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition. If the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 do not meet the first preset condition, but the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition, the communication mode of the communication device is determined to be the second communication mode. The settings of the first and second preset conditions can be referred to above and will not be repeated here.

[0118] Accordingly, in step S3, the control module 5 controls the operating status of the first transmission link 13 and the second transmission link 23, including:

[0119] When the communication mode is the second communication mode, the control module 5 disconnects the communication connection between the first signal conversion module 14 and the base station, and adjusts the parameters of the second transmission link 23 to adjust the gain of the signal transmitted by the target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the target directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link 23.

[0120] Furthermore, in step S2, the communication mode of the communication device is determined by the mode determination module 4, including:

[0121] When the communication device is running in the second communication mode, it is determined whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 meet the first preset condition and whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition. When the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 do not meet the first preset condition and the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna do not meet the second preset condition, the communication mode of the communication device is determined to be the third communication mode.

[0122] Accordingly, the control module 5 controls the operating status of the first transmission link 13 and the second transmission link 23, including:

[0123] Control module 5, when the communication mode is the third communication mode, controls the first signal conversion module 14 to communicate with the base station through the first transmission link 13 and the omnidirectional antenna 11 within a first preset time, and disconnects the communication connection between the first signal conversion module 14 and the base station after the first preset time. Within the first preset time, the second target directional antenna is identified, and the second signal conversion module 24 is controlled to communicate with the base station through the second transmission link 23 and the second target directional antenna. The parameters of the second transmission link 23 are adjusted to regulate the gain of the signal transmitted by the second target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the second target directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link 23. The second target directional antenna satisfies the condition that the strength of the signal it receives is not less than the strength of the signal received by other directional antennas.

[0124] The communication method provided in this disclosure can monitor the signal parameters of the signals received by the omnidirectional antenna 11 and each directional antenna 21 in real time through the monitoring module 3, determine the communication mode that the communication equipment should currently operate in using the mode determination module 4, and then flexibly switch the communication status of different communication modules using the control module 5. This is equivalent to selecting a suitable communication module to establish a communication connection with the base station based on the relative position of the ship and the base station, thereby avoiding a significant decrease in signal quality as the distance between the ship and the base station increases, and ensuring that the communication equipment maintains better communication quality during the ship's movement.

[0125] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A communication device, wherein, It includes a monitoring module, a mode determination module, a control module, a first communication module, and a second communication module; The first communication module includes an omnidirectional antenna, a first signal conversion module, and a first transmission link connecting the omnidirectional antenna and the first signal conversion module; the second communication module includes multiple directional antennas, a second signal conversion module, and a second transmission link connecting the directional antennas and the second signal conversion module. The monitoring module is configured to monitor at least the signal parameters of the signal transmitted through the first transmission link and received by the omnidirectional antenna, and the signal parameters of the signal transmitted through the second transmission link and received by each of the directional antennas. The mode determination module is configured to determine the communication mode of the communication device based on the signal parameters of the signals received by the omnidirectional antenna and the signal parameters of the signals received by each of the directional antennas. The control module is configured to control the operating status of the first transmission link and the second transmission link according to the communication mode.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The mode determination module is configured to determine the communication mode of the communication device as a first communication mode when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet a first preset condition; when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet the first preset condition, the relative distance between the communication device and the base station is not greater than a first distance threshold. The control module is configured to control the first signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the first transmission link and the omnidirectional antenna, and to determine the target directional antenna and control the second signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the second transmission link and the target directional antenna. The strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signal received by the other directional antennas.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein, The mode determination module is configured to determine the communication mode of the communication device as the second communication mode when the communication device is running in the first communication mode, and the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna do not meet the first preset condition, and the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition. When the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition, the strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signal received by the other directional antennas; When the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition, the strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signal received by the other directional antennas; The control module is configured to disconnect the communication connection between the first signal conversion module and the base station when the communication mode is the second communication mode, and to adjust the parameters of the second transmission link to adjust the gain of the signal transmitted by the target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the target directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein, The mode determination module is configured to determine the communication mode of the communication device as a third communication mode when the communication device is running in the second communication mode, and when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna do not meet the first preset condition and the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna do not meet the second preset condition. The control module is configured to, in the third communication mode, control the first signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the first transmission link and the omnidirectional antenna, disconnect the communication connection between the first signal conversion module and the base station after a first preset time, and, within the first preset time, determine the second target directional antenna, control the second signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the second transmission link and the second target directional antenna, and adjust the parameters of the second transmission link to adjust the gain of the signal transmitted by the second target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the second target directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link; The strength of the signal received by the second target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signal received by the other directional antennas.

5. The communication device according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The first transmission link includes a first transmitting link and a first receiving link; The input end of the first transmission link is connected to the first signal conversion module. The first transmission link is configured to process the signal transmitted by the first signal conversion module under the control of the control module to generate a first transmission signal. The output of the first receiving link is connected to the first signal conversion module. The first receiving link is configured to process the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna, generate a first received signal, and transmit the first received signal to the first signal conversion module under the control of the control module.

6. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein, The first communication module further includes: a first circulator; The first end of the first circulator is communicatively connected to the omnidirectional antenna, the second end of the first circulator is connected to the output end of the first transmit link, and the third end of the first circulator is connected to the input end of the first receive link. The first circulator is configured to transmit the first transmitted signal to the omnidirectional antenna and to transmit the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna to the first receiving link.

7. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein, The first transmission link includes: The first filter is configured to filter the signal emitted by the first signal conversion module; The first amplifier is configured to amplify the signal filtered by the first filter; A first coupler is configured to generate a first main signal and a first secondary signal based on the signal amplified by the first amplifier. The first gain equalization module is configured to adjust the gain of the first main signal and generate a first control signal and a first adjustment signal. A first numerically controlled attenuator is configured to control the amplitude of the first adjustment signal in response to the first control signal; The second filter is configured to filter the signal output by the first numerically controlled attenuator; A first power amplifier is configured to amplify the signal filtered by the second filter; The first digital predistortion module is configured to generate a first predistortion signal based on the signal filtered by the second filter and the signal amplified by the first power amplifier, and transmit it to the first power amplifier. The first power amplifier is further configured to amplify the first predistortion signal to generate the first transmitted signal; The first auxiliary signal is transmitted to the monitoring module; the monitoring module is also configured to monitor the signal parameters of the first auxiliary signal and the first transmitted signal, generate a first monitoring result, and transmit it to the control module. The control module is also configured to adjust the parameters of the first transmission link based on the first monitoring result, so as to adjust the signal parameters of the first auxiliary signal and the first transmission signal.

8. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein, The first receiving link includes: The first pre-filter is configured to filter the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna; The second amplifier is configured to amplify the signal filtered by the first pre-filter; The second coupler is configured to generate a second main signal and a second auxiliary signal based on the signal amplified by the second amplifier. The first adjustable gain amplifier is configured to adjust the gain of the second main signal under the control of the second control signal; The first gain control module is configured to monitor the signal output by the first adjustable gain amplifier and generate a second control signal based on the signal output by the first adjustable gain amplifier. The first post-filter is configured to filter the signal output by the first adjustable gain amplifier to generate a first received signal; The second auxiliary signal is transmitted to the monitoring module; the monitoring module is also configured to monitor the signal parameters of the second auxiliary signal and the first received signal, generate a second monitoring result, and transmit it to the control module. The control module is also configured to adjust the parameters of the first receiving link based on the second monitoring result, so as to adjust the signal parameters of the second secondary signal and the first received signal.

9. The communication device according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The second transmission link includes a second transmit link and a second receive link; The input terminal of the second transmission link is connected to the second signal conversion module. The second transmission link is configured to process the signal transmitted by the second signal conversion module under the control of the control module to generate a second transmission signal. The output of the second receiving link is connected to the second signal conversion module. The second receiving link is configured to process the signal received by the directional antenna to generate a second received signal, and transmit the second received signal to the second signal conversion module under the control of the control module.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein, The second communication module further includes: a second circulator and a first gating module; The first gating module has an input terminal and multiple output terminals corresponding one-to-one with the directional antennas; the first gating module is configured to select one of the multiple directional antennas to connect to the second transmission link under the control of the control module; The first end of the second circulator is connected to the input end of the first gating module; the second end of the second circulator is connected to the output end of the second transmit link; and the third end of the second circulator is connected to the input end of the second receive link. The second circulator is configured to transmit the second transmitted signal to the directional antenna and to transmit the signal received by the directional antenna to the second receiving link.

11. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein, The second transmission link includes: The third filter is configured to filter the signal emitted by the second signal conversion module; The third amplifier is configured to amplify the signal filtered by the third filter; The third coupler is configured to generate a third main signal and a third secondary signal based on the signal amplified by the third amplifier. The second gain equalization module is configured to adjust the gain of the third main signal and generate a third control signal and a second adjustment signal. The second digitally controlled attenuator is configured to control the amplitude of the second adjustment signal in response to the third control signal; The fourth filter is configured to filter the signal output by the second digitally controlled attenuator; The second power amplifier is configured to amplify the signal filtered by the fourth filter; The second digital predistortion module is configured to generate a second predistortion signal based on the signal filtered by the fourth filter and the signal amplified by the second power amplifier, and transmit it to the second power amplifier. The second power amplifier is further configured to amplify the second predistortion signal to generate the second transmit signal; The third auxiliary signal is transmitted to the monitoring module; the monitoring module is also configured to monitor the signal parameters of the third auxiliary signal and the second transmitted signal, and generate a third monitoring result which is transmitted to the control module. The control module is also configured to adjust the parameters of the second transmission link based on the third monitoring result, so as to adjust the signal parameters of the third auxiliary signal and the second transmission signal.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein, The second transmission link also includes: The thermal management module is configured to detect the temperature information of the second power amplifier and adjust the temperature of the second power amplifier based on the temperature information.

13. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein, The second receiving link includes: The second pre-filter is configured to filter the signal received by the directional antenna; The fourth amplifier is configured to amplify the signal filtered by the second pre-filter; The fourth coupler is configured to generate a fourth main signal and a fourth sub-signal based on the signal amplified by the fourth amplifier; The second adjustable gain amplifier is configured to adjust the gain of the fourth main signal under the control of the fourth control signal; The second gain control module is configured to monitor the signal output by the second adjustable gain amplifier and generate a fourth control signal based on the signal output by the second adjustable gain amplifier. The second post-filter is configured to filter the signal output from the second adjustable gain amplifier; The digital anti-interference module is configured to filter out interference signals in the signal filtered by the second post-filter and generate a second received signal. The fourth auxiliary signal is transmitted to the monitoring module; the monitoring module is also configured to monitor the signal parameters of the fourth auxiliary signal and the second received signal, and generate a fourth monitoring result which is transmitted to the control module. The control module is also configured to adjust the parameters of the second receiving link based on the fourth monitoring result, so as to adjust the signal parameters of the fourth secondary signal and the second received signal.

14. A communication method applied to the communication device according to any one of claims 1-13, wherein, The communication method includes: The monitoring module monitors at least the signal parameters of the signal transmitted through the first transmission link and received by the omnidirectional antenna, and monitors the signal parameters of the signal transmitted through the second transmission link and received by each directional antenna. The communication mode of the communication device is determined by the mode determination module based on the signal parameters of the signals received by the omnidirectional antenna and the signal parameters of the signals received by each of the directional antennas. The control module controls the operating status of the first transmission link and the second transmission link according to the communication mode.

15. The communication method according to claim 14, wherein, The process of determining the communication mode of the communication device via the mode determination module includes: The mode determination module determines whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet the first preset condition, and when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet the first preset condition, the communication mode of the communication device is determined to be the first communication mode; when the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet the first preset condition, the relative distance between the communication device and the base station is not greater than the first distance threshold. The control module controls the operating status of the first transmission link and the second transmission link, including: The control module controls the first signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the first transmission link and the omnidirectional antenna, and determines the target directional antenna, and controls the second signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the second transmission link and the target directional antenna. The strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signal received by the other directional antennas.

16. The communication method according to claim 15, wherein, The process of determining the communication mode of the communication device via the mode determination module includes: When the communication device is running in the first communication mode, it is determined whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet the first preset condition and whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition. When the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna do not meet the first preset condition and the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition, the communication mode of the communication device is determined to be the second communication mode. When the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition, the strength of the signal received by the target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signal received by the other directional antennas; The control module controls the operating status of the first transmission link and the second transmission link, including: When the communication mode is the second communication mode, the control module disconnects the communication connection between the first signal conversion module and the base station, and adjusts the parameters of the second transmission link to adjust the gain of the signal transmitted by the target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the target directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link.

17. The communication method according to claim 16, wherein, The process of determining the communication mode of the communication device via the mode determination module includes: When the communication device is running in the second communication mode, it is determined whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna meet the first preset condition and whether the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna meet the second preset condition. When the signal parameters of the signal received by the omnidirectional antenna do not meet the first preset condition and the signal parameters of the signal received by the target directional antenna do not meet the second preset condition, the communication mode of the communication device is determined to be the third communication mode. The control module controls the operating status of the first transmission link and the second transmission link, including: When the communication mode is the third communication mode, the control module controls the first signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the first transmission link and the omnidirectional antenna for a first preset time, and disconnects the communication connection between the first signal conversion module and the base station after the first preset time. Additionally, the control module determines the second target directional antenna within the first preset time, controls the second signal conversion module to communicate with the base station through the second transmission link and the second target directional antenna, and adjusts the parameters of the second transmission link to adjust the gain of the signal transmitted by the second target directional antenna and the gain of the signal received by the second target directional antenna and transmitted through the second transmission link. The strength of the signal received by the second target directional antenna is not less than the strength of the signal received by the other directional antennas.

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