Communication module, terminal equipment and communication system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a communication module, terminal equipment and a communication system. The communication module comprises a substrate, a cellular unit and an NTN unit, the cellular unit and the NTN unit are integrated on the substrate, the cellular unit is connected with a processor and is connected with a communication base station, the NTN unit is connected with the cellular unit and is connected with a communication satellite, and the cellular unit responds to a received first control signal and sends the first control signal to the processor. And generating a first control instruction to switch the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode, so that the communication module can communicate with the communication base station in the cellular communication mode and communicate with the communication satellite in the NTN communication mode. Through the structure, the high-integration-level communication module giving consideration to satellite communication and cellular communication can be obtained, the layout area of the module is reduced, the complexity of service logic processing is simplified, efficient switching between cellular communication and NTN communication is achieved, and the communication module is suitable for more communication scenes and high in flexibility and compatibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a communication module, a terminal device and a communication system. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development and expansion of wireless communication technology and its application fields, terminal equipment has higher and higher requirements for communication performance. In traditional terminal equipment, high-speed, low-latency and wide-connection cellular communication has been achieved, but because cellular communication mainly relies on ground communication base stations for data transmission and communication, its signals are difficult to cover remote areas, oceans, mountains and other special areas, resulting in terminal equipment being unable to communicate under many regional conditions.

[0003] In recent years, NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) has gradually emerged, which uses non-terrestrial communication facilities such as communication satellites or high-altitude platform systems to provide communication services, thereby making up for the lack of coverage of ground communication base stations. However, the current NTN communication still has problems such as high latency, limited communication capacity, and nonlinear channels, making it difficult to meet the communication performance requirements of terminal devices using NTN communication alone.

[0004] Although some existing terminal devices can realize the functions of cellular communication and NTN communication at the same time, they use multiple different communication modules, and need to set corresponding control and communication programs separately for different communication modules. They have low integration, poor flexibility and compatibility, and it is difficult to achieve efficient switching between cellular communication and NTN communication. Utility Model Content

[0005] The present application mainly provides a communication module, a terminal device and a communication system, aiming to solve the problem that the existing communication modules are difficult to realize both cellular communication and NTN communication.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present application is: to provide a communication module. The communication module includes a substrate and a cellular unit and an NTN unit integrated on the substrate; the cellular unit is used to connect to a processor to obtain a control signal sent by the processor, and to transmit a data signal with the processor, and to establish a connection with a communication base station to transmit base station data with the communication base station; the NTN unit is connected to the cellular unit for communication, and is used to establish a connection with a communication satellite to transmit satellite data with the communication satellite; wherein the cellular unit generates a first control instruction to switch between a cellular communication mode and an NTN communication mode in response to a first control signal sent by the processor, and in response to a first data signal sent by the processor, converts the first data signal into first base station data in the cellular communication mode and sends it to the communication base station, or converts the first data signal into cellular data in the NTN communication mode and sends it to the NTN unit, and the NTN unit is also used to convert the cellular data into first satellite data and send it to the communication satellite.

[0007] In some embodiments, the NTN unit is further used to convert the received second satellite data sent by the communication satellite into NTN data and send it to the cellular unit; the cellular unit is also used to convert the received second base station data and the NTN data sent by the communication base station into a second data signal, and send the second data signal to the processor.

[0008] In some embodiments, the cellular unit further includes a first signal detection module, which is used to detect base station signal quality data of the second base station data; the NTN unit further includes a second signal detection module, which is used to detect satellite signal quality data of the second satellite data and send the satellite signal quality data to the cellular chip; the cellular chip is also used to switch the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode based on the base station signal quality data and the corresponding satellite signal quality data.

[0009] In some embodiments, the communication module also includes: a cellular antenna connected to the first RF front end, and the first RF front end establishes a connection with the communication base station based on the cellular antenna; an NTN antenna connected to the second RF front end, and the second RF front end establishes a connection with the communication satellite based on the NTN antenna.

[0010] In some embodiments, the cellular chip integrates at least one of a 2G communication module, a 3G communication module, a 4G communication module, a 5G communication module, a NB-IoT communication module, and a CatM communication module.

[0011] In some embodiments, the cellular unit includes a cellular chip and a first RF front end that are communicatively connected to each other, and the NTN unit includes an NTN chip and a second RF front end that are communicatively connected to each other; the cellular chip is used to connect to the processor to obtain a control signal sent by the processor and to transmit data signals to the processor; the first RF front end is used to establish a connection with the communication base station to transmit base station data to the communication base station; the NTN chip is communicatively connected to the cellular chip; the second RF front end is used to establish a connection with the communication satellite to transmit satellite data to the communication satellite.

[0012] In some embodiments, a storage unit is also integrated on the substrate, and the storage unit is used to store a second control instruction; the cellular unit is connected to the storage unit, and is also used to switch the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode based on the second control instruction.

[0013] In some embodiments, a power management unit is also integrated on the substrate, and the power management unit is connected to the power supply end of the cellular unit and the power supply end of the NTN unit, and is used to access an external power supply voltage and convert the external power supply voltage into an internal driving voltage to drive the cellular unit and the NTN unit to work.

[0014] To solve the above technical problems, another technical solution adopted in the present application is: to provide a terminal device, which includes a processor and a communication module as mentioned above that are interconnected, and the processor is used to send a control signal to the communication module and transmit data signals with the communication module.

[0015] To solve the above technical problems, another technical solution adopted in the present application is: to provide a communication system, which includes a communication base station, a communication satellite and a terminal device as mentioned above, and the terminal device is connected to the communication base station and the communication satellite respectively.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows: Different from the prior art, the present application discloses a communication module, a terminal device and a communication system. The present application integrates the cellular unit and the NTN unit on the same substrate to obtain a highly integrated communication module that takes into account both satellite communication and cellular communication, so that the communication module and the corresponding terminal device and the communication system can support cellular communication and NTN communication, so that the two communication modes can be switched efficiently and flexibly, making it applicable to more communication scenarios, making up for the situation of no signal and data cannot be reported due to regional usage restrictions, and improving the flexibility and compatibility of related communications. At the same time, the highly integrated structure also simplifies the design of the communication module, reduces the production cost, can better reduce the layout area, and reduce the product volume of the module and the corresponding equipment and system. The communication module only needs to communicate with the external processor through the cellular unit, and the NTN unit only communicates and transmits with the cellular unit inside the module, so that the communication module can provide a unified control and data communication interface to the outside, effectively simplifying the business logic and reducing the complexity of the corresponding business processing, and improving the development and use efficiency of the communication module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the prior art descriptions are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work, among which:

[0018] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a communication module provided by the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the communication module provided by the present application;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a terminal device provided by the present application;

[0021] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a communication system provided by the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] The terms "first", "second", "third" in the embodiments of the present application are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Thus, the feature defined as "first", "second", "third" can expressly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically limited. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally also includes steps or units that are not listed, or optionally also includes other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0024] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0025] This application provides a communication module, see Figure 1 , Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a communication module provided in this application.

[0026] The communication module 100 includes a substrate 110 and a cellular unit 120 and an NTN unit 130 integrated on the substrate 110; the cellular unit 120 is used to connect to the processor 200 to obtain a control signal sent by the processor 200, and to transmit a data signal with the processor 200, and to establish a connection with the communication base station 300 to transmit base station data with the communication base station 300; the NTN unit 130 is connected to the cellular unit 120 for communication, and is used to establish a connection with the communication satellite 400 to transmit satellite data with the communication satellite 400; wherein, the cellular unit 120 generates a first control instruction to switch between a cellular communication mode and an NTN communication mode in response to a first control signal sent by the processor 200, and in response to a first data signal sent by the processor 200, converts the first data signal into first base station data in the cellular communication mode and sends it to the communication base station 300, or converts the first data signal into cellular data in the NTN communication mode and sends it to the NTN unit 130, and the NTN unit 130 is also used to convert the cellular data into first satellite data and send it to the communication satellite 400.

[0027] The substrate 110 is a supporting structure of electronic components, which is used to integrate various electronic components and assemblies to achieve circuit connection and overall functional realization. The substrate 110 can be an independent PCB (Printed Circuit Board), or a basic structure such as a substrate and electrodes made by semiconductor technology in an integrated chip, or a modular board that can be plugged in different electronic components or assemblies. In this structure, the substrate 110 serves as a core carrier, carrying the honeycomb unit 120 and the NTN unit 130 to ensure stable connection and data communication between the units.

[0028] The cellular unit 120 is a functional unit for realizing cellular network communication. By establishing a connection with the communication base station 300, the cellular unit 120 can receive data sent to the communication base station 300 by other terminal devices with cellular communication functions, and send the data to the communication base station 300 to forward it to other terminal devices with cellular communication functions, thereby realizing stable and effective communication within the coverage of the base station.

[0029] The NTN unit 130 is a functional unit for realizing NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) communication. By establishing a connection with the communication satellite 400, the NTN unit 130 can receive data sent to the communication satellite 400 by other terminal devices with NTN communication function, and send the data to the communication satellite 400 to forward it to other terminal devices with NTN communication function, thereby realizing communication in a wider range.

[0030] Among them, due to the relatively mature technology and low cost of cellular communication, it has been covered in most areas where people live and can cover most communication application scenarios. However, cellular communication is difficult to achieve coverage in remote areas, oceans, mountains and other special areas due to the high difficulty of building base stations and low utilization rate, and signal loss may occur in these areas. NTN communication can cover a wider area, including the above-mentioned special areas, effectively making up for the shortcomings of cellular communication in these areas, but due to its high technical cost and limited communication resources, it is usually only used in the above-mentioned special areas or in special situations such as emergency, maritime, military and cellular communication effects are extremely poor. Therefore, based on the use of the communication module with two communication function units, this solution can further switch the activation of the two communication functions efficiently and flexibly to take advantage of the advantages of the two unit communication methods to achieve better communication effects.

[0031] In the present application, the communication module 100 generates a first control instruction to switch between the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode in response to the first control signal received from the processor 200. The first control signal is issued by the processor 200 according to the current communication requirements and environmental conditions. It can be manually output by the user operation received by the processor 200, or it can be automatically output according to the program set by the processor 200. The present application does not impose specific restrictions on this. After receiving the first control signal, the communication module 100 will generate a corresponding first control instruction for switching the current communication mode, that is, when the control signal indicates that cellular communication is required, it switches to the cellular communication mode, enables the cellular unit 120 to communicate with the communication base station 300, and switches to the NYN communication mode when the control signal indicates that NTN communication is required, and enables the NTN unit 130 to communicate with the communication satellite 400. For example, based on the network quality, the mode can be switched to cellular communication mode when the cellular communication quality is good, and switched to NTN communication mode when the quality is poor. The mode can also be switched to NTN communication mode for communication based on actual application needs, such as emergency assistance, cellular communication quality, and the need to reply or reply to received satellite data.

[0032] In this structure, it is only necessary to communicate with the external processor 200 through the cellular unit 120. On the one hand, there are many existing communication modules 100 equipped with the cellular unit 120. In signal analysis, instruction generation and program development of the module, the relevant developers usually have more design and processing experience, which makes the specific implementation simpler. On the other hand, after being encapsulated through the above structure, it can provide a unified control and data communication interface to the outside world. While simplifying the circuit structure, there is no need for additional control and data analysis for the same business demand, which can effectively simplify the corresponding business logic and reduce the complexity of the corresponding business processing.

[0033] Through the above structure, the communication module 100 can support both cellular communication and NTN communication, so as to cover communication scenarios with a larger area and a wider application range, make up for the lack of cellular communication coverage in special application scenarios, and avoid the higher cost caused by the additional use of NTN communication when the cellular communication effect is good, so as to meet the actual application needs, realize highly flexible and highly compatible communication, simplify the complexity of communication business logic processing, and meet the needs of various communication application scenarios. At the same time, since the cellular unit 120 and the NTN unit 130 share the same substrate 110 and some circuit components, they have a high degree of integration, simplify the structural design of the communication module 100, reduce production costs, and can better reduce the board area, reduce the product volume of the module and corresponding equipment and systems. The communication module 100 only needs to connect and communicate with the external processor 200 through the cellular unit 120, and the cellular unit 120 and the NTN unit 130 communicate and transmit inside the communication module 100, so that the communication module 100 can provide a unified control and data communication interface to the outside, effectively simplify the business logic and reduce the complexity of the corresponding business processing, and improve its development and use efficiency.

[0034] Optionally, the NTN unit 130 is also used to convert the second satellite data received from the communication satellite 400 into NTN data and send it to the cellular unit 120; the cellular unit 120 is also used to convert the second base station data and NTN data received from the communication base station 300 into a second data signal, and send the second data signal to the processor 200.

[0035] In addition to unidirectional uplink data transmission to the communication base station 300 and the communication satellite 400, the communication module 100 also includes downlink data reception and processing to achieve two-way communication.

[0036] When the communication module 100 is in the NTN communication mode, the NTN unit 130 is not only responsible for sending data to the communication satellite 400, but also responsible for receiving data sent by the communication satellite 400. These data may be sent to the satellite by other terminal devices with NTN communication functions, or generated by the satellite itself and sent to the device. After receiving these data, the NTN unit 130 converts these data into the NTN data format and then sends them to the cellular unit 120. After receiving these data, the cellular unit 120 further converts them into a data signal that the processor 200 can understand, that is, a second data signal, and then sends it to the processor 200. Similarly, when the communication module 100 is in the cellular communication mode, the cellular unit 120 receives data from the communication base station 300. These data may be sent to the base station by other terminal devices with cellular communication functions, or generated by the base station itself and sent to the device. After receiving these data, the cellular unit 120 converts them together with the NTN data into a second data signal and then sends them to the processor 200.

[0037] In this way, the communication module 100 can realize two-way communication with the base station and the satellite, so that the device can receive and send data, further enhancing the flexibility and versatility of the communication module 100, so that it can adapt to various complex communication environments and application scenarios. It should be noted that this implementation method of two-way communication may increase the complexity and power consumption of the communication module 100. Therefore, in practical applications, it is necessary to weigh and choose whether to implement this two-way communication function according to specific business requirements and environmental conditions. At the same time, for the design and optimization of the communication module 100, it is also necessary to consider how to reduce power consumption and cost while ensuring the communication effect, and improve the competitiveness and market acceptance of the product.

[0038] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of another embodiment of the communication module 100 provided in the present application.

[0039] Optionally, the cellular unit 120 includes a cellular chip 121 and a first RF front end 122 that are communicatively connected to each other, and the NTN unit 130 includes an NTN chip 131 and a second RF front end 132 that are communicatively connected to each other; the cellular chip 121 is used to connect to the processor 200 to obtain a control signal sent by the processor 200, and to transmit data signals with the processor 200; the first RF front end 122 is used to establish a connection with the communication base station 300 to transmit base station data with the communication base station 300; the NTN chip 131 is communicatively connected to the cellular chip 121; the second RF front end 132 is used to establish a connection with the communication satellite 400 to transmit satellite data with the communication satellite 400.

[0040] The cellular unit 120 is mainly composed of a cellular chip 121 and a first RF front end 122. The cellular chip 121 is one of the core components of the communication module 100, which is responsible for connecting and communicating data with the processor 200. It can receive control signals sent by the processor 200 and perform corresponding operations according to the signal content. At the same time, the cellular chip 121 is also responsible for processing the data signal transmission between the processor 200 to ensure that the data can flow accurately between the module and the processor 200. The first RF front end 122 is a bridge to establish a connection between the cellular unit 120 and the communication base station 300. It is responsible for converting the signal output by the cellular chip 121 into a RF signal suitable for transmission in a wireless channel and sending it to the communication base station 300. At the same time, the first RF front end 122 can also receive the RF signal from the communication base station 300 and convert it into a signal format that the cellular chip 121 can understand, thereby completing the base station data transmission between the communication base station 300.

[0041] The NTN unit 130 is mainly composed of an NTN chip 131 and a second RF front end 132. The NTN chip 131 is connected to the cellular chip 121 for communication, and realizes the functions in the NTN communication mode through data interaction. It can receive control signals from the processor 200 or the cellular chip 121, and adjust the working state or parameter configuration of the NTN unit 130 according to the signal content. The second RF front end 132 is responsible for establishing a connection with the communication satellite 400 and realizing satellite data communication with the communication satellite 400. It can process the signal output by the NTN chip 131, convert it into a RF signal suitable for transmission in the satellite communication channel, and send it to the communication satellite 400. At the same time, the second RF front end 132 can also receive the RF signal from the communication satellite 400, and convert it into a signal format that the NTN chip 131 can understand, thereby completing the data interaction with the communication satellite 400.

[0042] It should be noted that the RF front end is mainly responsible for the transmission, conversion and processing of RF signals, and usually cannot directly receive data sent by the satellite or to the satellite. The establishment of the connection between the communication module 100 and the communication base station 300 and the communication satellite 400 usually requires an antenna, a signal amplifier, a signal booster, a modem or other specific signal receiving and sending equipment. The RF front end establishes a connection with the communication base station 300 or the communication satellite 400 by externally connecting these devices or integrating these devices in the corresponding substrate 110 or unit. For example, it can be connected to the corresponding communication base station 300 and the communication satellite 400 by connecting to a communication antenna independently set outside the communication module 100 in the terminal device, or a communication antenna is integrated on the substrate 110 of the communication module 100, and then the communication antenna is used to communicate with the corresponding communication base station 300 and the communication satellite 400.

[0043] Optionally, the communication module 100 also includes: a cellular antenna 123, connected to the first RF front end 122, and the first RF front end 122 establishes a connection with the communication base station 300 based on the cellular antenna 123; an NTN antenna 133, connected to the second RF front end 132, and the second RF front end 132 establishes a connection with the communication satellite 400 based on the NTN antenna 133.

[0044] The cellular antenna 123 is an antenna specially designed for cellular communication mode, which is usually connected to the first RF front end 122, and communicates with the communication base station 300 through wireless signals to provide stable and efficient communication services within the coverage of the cellular network. It can send the signal sent by the RF front end at a specific frequency and direction, and receive the signal from the communication base station 300. Through the cellular antenna 123, the communication module 100 can achieve two-way communication with the communication base station 300, and realize data transmission and reception functions.

[0045] The NTN antenna 133 is an antenna specially designed for the NTN communication mode, which is usually connected to the second RF front end 132 and is used to communicate with the communication satellite 400. It can establish a connection with the communication satellite 400 at a long distance and transmit data through wireless signals. The NTN antenna 133 usually has higher gain and directivity to ensure that the signal can be accurately and reliably transmitted to the satellite and received from the satellite. Through the NTN antenna 133, the communication module 100 can achieve two-way communication with the communication satellite 400, expanding the communication range and application scenarios.

[0046] Through this specific subdivision, including the cellular chip 121, the first RF front end 122 and the cellular unit 120 with the corresponding cellular antenna 123, and the NTN unit 130 including the NTN chip 131, the second RF front end 132 and the corresponding NTN antenna 133, the cellular unit 120 and the NTN unit 130 can be optimized and upgraded according to their specific communication modes, so that the communication module 100 can improve the performance, stability and reliability of the communication module 100 while supporting the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode. Due to its subdivided structure, corresponding log data or status characters can be generated according to the specific subdivided structures, which is convenient for troubleshooting and repairing the communication module 100, so that the communication module 100 can better adapt to various complex communication environments and application scenarios.

[0047] Optionally, the cellular chip 121 integrates at least one of a 2G communication module 121a, a 3G communication module 121b, a 4G communication module 121c, a 5G communication module 121d, a NB-IoT communication module 121e and a CatM communication module 121f.

[0048] The 2G communication module 121a, the 3G communication module 121b, the 4G communication module 121c and the 5G communication module 121d are communication modules established based on communication technologies from the second generation to the fifth generation mobile phone communication technology specifications. The emergence and application of these communication modules enable the communication module 100 to support multiple communication protocols and frequency bands, thereby adapting to different communication needs and network environments.

[0049] The NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things) communication module 121e and the CatM communication module 121f are communication modules designed specifically for IoT application scenarios. The NB-IoT communication module 121e is based on narrowband cellular communication technology and can achieve reliable data transmission under low bandwidth conditions. It is suitable for application scenarios that do not require high data rates but require low power consumption and wide coverage. The CatM communication module 121f is a medium-rate IoT communication technology that can achieve low power consumption and wide coverage while ensuring a certain data transmission rate. It is suitable for application scenarios that have certain requirements for data rates.

[0050] Each of the above-mentioned communication modules can be a sub-communication chip in the cellular chip 121, or a sub-circuit structure with a corresponding communication architecture connected to the cellular chip 121 as a main control extension, which is used to communicate with the communication base station 300 under the corresponding communication frequency band and communication protocol to realize data transmission and reception functions. By integrating these communication modules, the communication module 100 can support a variety of communication protocols and network types to meet the needs of different application scenarios. For example, in the construction of smart cities, the communication module 100 can be connected to a high-speed network through a 4G communication module 121c or a 5G communication module 121d to achieve high-definition video transmission and real-time data analysis; in the agricultural Internet of Things, the communication module 100 can be connected to a remote monitoring device through the NB-IoT communication module 121e to achieve low-power, wide-coverage data transmission to meet the actual needs of agricultural production.

[0051] Optionally, the cellular unit 120 also includes a first signal detection module 124, which is used to detect base station signal quality data of the second base station data; the NTN unit 130 also includes a second signal detection module 134, which is used to detect satellite signal quality data of the second satellite data and send the satellite signal quality data to the cellular chip 121; the cellular chip 121 is also used to switch the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode based on the base station signal quality data and the corresponding satellite signal quality data.

[0052] The first signal detection module 124 and the second signal detection module 134 are used to detect the signal quality data between the communication module 100 and the communication base station 300 and the communication satellite 400, respectively. The signal quality data can be a combination of one or more parameter indicators such as signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, bit error rate, signal-to-noise-interference ratio, reference signal received power and dynamic range. The first signal detection module 124 is usually set at the first RF front end 122 or a position closely integrated therewith, and can detect the signal quality data between the communication base station 300 in real time to reflect the signal quality status in the cellular communication mode. The second signal detection module 134 is usually set at the second RF front end 132 or a position closely integrated therewith, and can detect the signal quality data between the communication satellite 400.

[0053] After receiving the signal quality data sent by the first signal detection module 124 and the second signal detection module 134, the cellular chip 121 will compare and analyze the data based on the size of the data, the difference between the data and the preset value, the stability of the data, etc. If the signal quality data in the cellular communication mode is poor, and the signal quality data in the NTN communication mode is good, the cellular chip 121 will make a decision to switch to the NTN communication mode to ensure the stability and efficiency of data transmission. Conversely, if the signal quality in the NTN communication mode is poor, and the signal quality in the cellular communication mode is good, the cellular chip 121 will switch to the cellular communication mode. Through this communication mode switching mechanism based on signal quality data, the communication module 100 can achieve adaptive adjustment in different communication environments and improve the stability and efficiency of communication.

[0054] Optionally, a storage unit 140 is integrated on the substrate 110, and the storage unit 140 is used to store the second control instruction; the cellular unit 120 is connected to the storage unit 140, and is also used to switch the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode based on the second control instruction.

[0055] For the switching between the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode, in addition to the aforementioned control method based on the control signal of the processor 200 and the adaptive selection method based on the comparison of signal quality data, the communication module 100 can also switch by means of preset control instructions. In this way, a storage unit 140 is integrated on the substrate 110 of the communication module 100, and the storage unit 140 is used to store preset second control instructions. These control instructions can be set in advance by the user, or updated in time according to the control instructions generated by the control signal, and are used to specify switching to a specific communication mode under specific conditions.

[0056] The cellular unit 120 is connected to the storage unit 140. When the communication mode needs to be switched, the cellular unit 120 reads the second control instruction in the storage unit 140 and performs the corresponding switching operation according to the instruction. For example, the user may set that the communication module 100 should give priority to the NTN communication mode in certain specific time periods or specific geographical locations to avoid congestion or coverage blind spots of the ground communication base station 300. At this time, the cellular unit 120 will automatically switch to the NTN communication mode according to the control instruction in the storage unit 140. This switching method based on preset control instructions is easy to operate and highly flexible. Users can adjust or change the control instructions at any time according to actual needs to adapt to different communication environments and application scenarios. At the same time, through preset control instructions, the communication module 100 can also be automatically managed under specific conditions to improve the efficiency and reliability of communication.

[0057] The communication module 100 realizes flexible switching between the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode in a variety of ways, meeting the communication needs in different application scenarios. Whether it is based on the control signal of the processor 200, the adaptive selection based on the signal quality data, or the switching method based on the preset control instruction, it can effectively improve the stability and efficiency of the communication, so that the communication module 100 can better adapt to various complex communication environments.

[0058] Optionally, a power management unit 150 is also integrated on the substrate 110, and the power management unit 150 is connected to the power supply end of the cellular unit 120 and the power supply end of the NTN unit 130, and is used to access an external power supply voltage and convert the external power supply voltage into an internal driving voltage to drive the cellular unit 120 and the NTN unit 130 to work.

[0059] The power management unit 150 provides a stable and reliable internal driving voltage for each functional module of the communication module 100 by connecting to the external power supply voltage and performing corresponding voltage conversion. Among them, the external power supply voltage can be provided by various power supply devices, such as batteries, adapters or generators, to provide the required electrical energy. Since the voltage requirements of each functional module in the communication module 100 may be different, the power management unit 150 needs to accurately convert the external power supply voltage according to actual needs. This includes adjusting parameters such as the amplitude, waveform and stability of the voltage to ensure that the converted internal driving voltage can meet the working requirements of each functional module. The power management unit 150 usually also has a voltage protection function. The power management unit 150 needs to monitor the state of the power supply voltage in real time and take protective measures in time when abnormal conditions are found, such as cutting off the power supply or reducing the voltage, so as to avoid damage to the communication module 100. Through the power management unit 150, the communication module 100 can ensure that it can still work stably in a complex and changeable power supply environment to meet various communication needs.

[0060] Optionally, the cellular chip 121 and the NTN chip 131 are connected via UART, and the cellular chip 121 and the processor 200 are connected via UART or USB.

[0061] UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter) is a commonly used serial communication protocol that allows data exchange between different devices. In the communication module 100, UART is used to connect the cellular chip 121 and the NTN chip 131, so that data communication and transmission of control instructions between the two can be realized. Through UART, the cellular chip 121 can obtain the working status, signal quality data and other information of the NTN chip 131 in real time, and process and control it accordingly. At the same time, the NTN chip 131 can also send data and instructions to the cellular chip 121 through UART to realize functions such as switching of communication modes and parameter configuration. This connection method is simple and reliable and is suitable for most application scenarios.

[0062] In addition, the cellular chip 121 and the processor 200 can be connected via UART or USB (Universal Serial Bus). The UART connection method has the advantages of low cost, low power consumption, and less resource occupation, and is suitable for scenarios where the data transmission rate is not high. The USB connection method has the advantages of high transmission rate, hot plug support, and easy expansion, and is suitable for scenarios that require high-speed data transmission or frequent device replacement. According to actual application requirements, the connection method can be flexibly selected to achieve efficient communication and data transmission between the communication module 100 and the processor 200.

[0063] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a terminal device provided in this application.

[0064] The terminal device 500 includes a processor 200 and a Figure 1 or Figure 2 The communication module 100 described, the processor 200 is used to send control signals to the communication module 100 and transmit data signals with the communication module 100.

[0065] The terminal device 500 refers to a device with communication and data processing functions, such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, a mobile soldier, a central control car machine and a law enforcement instrument, etc. The terminal device 500 includes a processor 200 and a communication module 100 that are connected to each other. Among them, the processor 200 is the core component of the terminal device 500, such as a microcontroller unit (MCU), a central processing unit (CPU), a system-on-chip (SoC) and a digital signal processor (DSP), etc., which are responsible for running applications, performing various tasks such as data processing and calculation, and processing data. In the terminal device 500, the aforementioned communication module 100 is used to build a communication platform for the terminal device 500 to communicate with the outside world, and is responsible for receiving and sending various data signals to connect with other devices or networks.

[0066] The processor 200 is connected to the communication module 100 through a corresponding interface or bus to realize data transmission and control signal transmission. The processor 200 can send a control signal to the communication module 100 to control the working mode and parameter setting of the communication module 100. At the same time, the processor 200 can also receive data signals from the communication module 100 for further processing and application.

[0067] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a communication system provided by the present application.

[0068] The communication system 600 includes a communication base station 300, a communication satellite 400 and Figure 3 The terminal device 500 described is connected to the communication base station 300 and the communication satellite 400 respectively.

[0069] The communication system 600 is an integrated space-ground communication system 600. The communication base station 300 is a core component of the ground communication network, responsible for processing the communication requests and data transmission of ground users. It realizes the communication between ground users and the communication bridge between ground users and the communication satellite 400 through the connection with the terminal device 500. The communication base station 300 can be a cellular communication mode corresponding to the terminal device 500, and can specifically include at least one of a 2G base station, a 3G base station, a 4G base station, a 5G base station, a NB-IoT base station and a CatM base station.

[0070] The communication satellite 400 is responsible for realizing air-to-space communication. It is located in the high-altitude orbit of the earth and has the advantages of wide coverage and long communication distance. The communication satellite 400 can receive signals from the terminal device 500 or the communication base station 300, and forward or relay them, thereby realizing communication between ground users and satellite users. The communication satellite 400 can be a high-orbit communication satellite or a low-orbit communication satellite, and this application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0071] The terminal device 500 serves as an interface between the user and the communication system 600, and is connected to the communication base station 300 and the communication satellite 400 through the built-in communication module 100. The communication module 100 has the ability to flexibly switch the communication mode, and can switch between the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode according to different communication environments and requirements, so that the terminal device 500 can select the optimal communication mode in different communication scenarios to ensure the stability and efficiency of communication. In the communication system 600, the terminal device 500 can also interact with the communication base station 300 and the communication satellite 400 for data transmission and control instructions. The user can send a communication request or data through the terminal device 500, which is processed by the communication module 100 and transmitted through the communication base station 300 or the communication satellite 400. At the same time, the terminal device 500 can also receive data and control instructions from the communication base station 300 or the communication satellite 400, and perform corresponding processing and application.

[0072] Different from the prior art, the present application discloses a communication module, a terminal device and a communication system. By integrating the cellular unit 120 and the NTN unit 130 on the same substrate 110, a highly integrated communication module 100 that takes into account both satellite communication and cellular communication is obtained, so that the communication module 100 and the corresponding terminal device 500 and the communication system 600 can support cellular communication and NTN communication, so that the two communication modes can be switched efficiently and flexibly, making it applicable to more communication scenarios, compensating for the situation of no signal and data cannot be reported due to regional usage restrictions, and improving the flexibility and compatibility of related communications. At the same time, the highly integrated structure also simplifies the design of the communication module, reduces the production cost, can better reduce the layout area, and reduce the product volume of the module and the corresponding equipment and system. The communication module 100 only needs to communicate with the external processor 200 through the cellular unit 120, and the NTN unit 130 only communicates with the cellular unit 120 inside the module 100, so that the communication module 100 can provide a unified control and data communication interface to the outside, effectively simplifying the business logic and reducing the complexity of the corresponding business processing, thereby improving the development and use efficiency of the communication module 100.

[0073] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for the terminal device embodiment and the communication system embodiment, since they are basically similar to the communication module embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the communication module embodiment.

[0074] In the several implementations provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed communication module, terminal device and communication system can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device implementation described above is only illustrative, for example, the division of the modules or units is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed.

[0075] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the present embodiment.

[0076] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0077] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication module, characterized in that: The communication module includes a substrate and a cellular unit and an NTN unit integrated on the substrate; The cellular unit is used to connect to the processor to obtain the control signal sent by the processor, to transmit data signals to the processor, and to establish a connection with a communication base station to transmit base station data to the communication base station; The NTN unit is communicatively connected to the cellular unit and is used to establish a connection with a communication satellite to transmit satellite data with the communication satellite; The cellular unit generates a first control instruction to switch between the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode in response to receiving a first control signal sent by the processor, and converts the first data signal into first base station data and sends it to the communication base station in the cellular communication mode, or converts the first data signal into cellular data and sends it to the NTN unit in the NTN communication mode in response to receiving a first data signal sent by the processor. The NTN unit is also used to convert the cellular data into first satellite data and send it to the communication satellite.

2. The communication module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The NTN unit is also used to convert the received second satellite data sent by the communication satellite into NTN data and send it to the cellular unit; The cellular unit is also used to convert the received second base station data and the NTN data sent by the communication base station into a second data signal, and send the second data signal to the processor.

3. The communication module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cellular unit includes a cellular chip and a first radio frequency front end that are communicatively connected to each other, and the NTN unit includes an NTN chip and a second radio frequency front end that are communicatively connected to each other; The cellular chip is used to connect to the processor to obtain a control signal sent by the processor and to transmit a data signal to the processor; The first RF front end is used to establish a connection with the communication base station to transmit base station data with the communication base station; The NTN chip is communicatively connected with the cellular chip; The second radio frequency front end is used to establish a connection with the communication satellite to transmit satellite data with the communication satellite.

4. The communication module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The communication module also includes: A cellular antenna connected to the first radio frequency front end, wherein the first radio frequency front end establishes a connection with the communication base station based on the cellular antenna; The NTN antenna is connected to the second RF front end, and the second RF front end establishes a connection with the communication satellite based on the NTN antenna.

5. The communication module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cellular chip integrates at least one of a 2G communication module, a 3G communication module, a 4G communication module, a 5G communication module, a NB-IoT communication module and a CatM communication module.

6. The communication module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cellular unit also includes a first signal detection module, which is used to detect base station signal quality data of the second base station data; the NTN unit also includes a second signal detection module, which is used to detect satellite signal quality data of the second satellite data and send the satellite signal quality data to the cellular chip; the cellular chip is also used to switch the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode based on the base station signal quality data and the corresponding satellite signal quality data.

7. The communication module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate is also integrated with a storage unit, and the storage unit is used to store the second control instruction; The cellular unit is connected to the storage unit, and is further used to switch between the cellular communication mode and the NTN communication mode based on the second control instruction.

8. The communication module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate also integrates a power management unit, which is connected to the power supply end of the cellular unit and the power supply end of the NTN unit, and is used to access an external power supply voltage and convert the external power supply voltage into an internal driving voltage to drive the cellular unit and the NTN unit to work.

9. A terminal device, characterized in that: The terminal device includes a processor and a communication module as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 that are interconnected, and the processor is used to send a control signal to the communication module and transmit a data signal with the communication module.

10. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system includes a communication base station, a communication satellite and the terminal device as described in claim 9, and the terminal device is connected to the communication base station and the communication satellite respectively.

Images